By Ado Oyeyemi
A suspected human trafficker allegedly lured 15 children from Nasarawa State and sold them to different buyers for N30m, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has disclosed.
The NSCDC said the suspect allegedly posed as an official of the National Council of Child Rights Advocates and used promises of free education to deceive parents into surrendering their children.
The corps’ Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing at the NSCDC headquarters in Abuja.
Afolabi said the suspect operated under the cover of a non-governmental organisation and an orphanage initiative known as the Back to School Project.
He explained that the suspect allegedly targeted vulnerable parents in the Kama Madaki and Gudindi Mada communities in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, convincing them that their children would receive free education.
According to him, 15 of the 16 children allegedly taken away from the communities have been rescued from their suspected buyers.
Afolabi said the rescue operation was conducted by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad, led by Commander Dandaura Appollos.
He explained that the operatives relied on field tracking, technical intelligence and coordinated operations across several states to trace the children and their alleged buyers.
Three of the rescued children were reportedly found in Anambra, Imo and Enugu states, while the remaining 12 were recovered through coordinated operations along routes in the South-East.
The NSCDC spokesman disclosed that three suspected buyers, including a man and two women, had been arrested in connection with the alleged trafficking.
He said investigations were ongoing, stressing that anyone found culpable would face prosecution.
Afolabi reaffirmed the corps’ commitment to combating human trafficking and other forms of criminality, warning those involved in the exploitation and sale of children that they would be brought to justice.
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He also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements or suspected cases of child trafficking to security agencies.
