The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has handed over 21 boys rescued from alleged human traffickers, to the Niger State Government.
Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, handed over the children to officials of the Niger State Government in Abuja on Tuesday.
She explained that the children, aged between 5 and 10 years, were about to be trafficked to the Republic of Niger through the Yobe border when they were intercepted by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and immediately handed over to NAPTIP.
“These children, 21 young boys, were intended for trafficking to the Republic of Niger through the Nigeria-Niger border in Yobe State, before they were intercepted at the border by NIS officials and immediately handed over to NAPTIP,” she said.
“On Sunday, the NAPTIP commander in Yobe State interviewed the suspected trafficker and escalated the information to headquarters. I immediately directed that the victims be moved to Abuja. Afterwards, we communicated the development to Niger State, and they responded immediately
“I was able to get across to the SSG, who linked me up with the relevant commissioner, who promised to come and pick up the children for rehabilitation.
“The information I had was that they were being taken to an Islamic school in Nigeria, and that forced me to ask the Niger State officials if there was no Islamic school in Niger, and they confirmed that there are lots of them in the state.”
She commended the officials who were vigilant enough to rescue the children and recommended proper counselling for the children and their parents. She also suggested that the children should be enrolled in school to receive both Islamic and western education so they could be useful to themselves and society.
Niger State Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Ahmed Yumu, who took custody of the children, appreciated the vigilance and prompt response of NIS and NAPTIP officials that led to the rescue.
He said the state government would step up public enlightenment so that parents could better understand the damaging impact of handing over their children to untrustworthy individuals.
“This is something that we have to pay proper attention to, as a government, to make sure that issues concerning our children are given serious security priority and observation,” he said.
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