NASARAWA: NSCDC RESCUES 15 MINORS ALLEGEDLY SOLD FOR N2M EACH

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By: Balogun Ibrahim

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has rescued 15 minors allegedly trafficked and sold for N2 million each by a suspected member of a human trafficking syndicate in Nasarawa State.

The NSCDC spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this on Friday during a briefing at the corps’ headquarters in Abuja.

According to Afolabi, the suspect allegedly impersonated an official of the National Council of Child Rights Advocates and deceived parents into surrendering their children under the pretext of securing free education for them.

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He said the suspect operated under the guise of running an NGO and orphanage initiative known as the “Back to School Project”, through which he allegedly targeted vulnerable and less-privileged families.

Afolabi explained that the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad, led by Commander Dandaura Appollos, conducted the operation that led to the rescue of the victims.

He said 15 of the 16 children allegedly trafficked from Kama Madaki and Gudindi Mada communities in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State were successfully rescued from their alleged buyers.

According to him, the rescue operation involved intelligence gathering, field tracking and coordinated tactical operations across several states.

He disclosed that three of the victims were rescued in Anambra, Imo and Enugu states, while the remaining 12 were recovered through coordinated operations along transit routes in the eastern part of the country.

The NSCDC spokesman added that three suspected buyers, comprising a man and two women, had been arrested in connection with the alleged trafficking operation.

Afolabi said the corps maintained a zero-tolerance stance towards criminal activities, particularly human trafficking and the exploitation of minors.

He assured that all suspects found culpable would face prosecution upon completion of investigations into the case.