Police arrest child traffickers, but ring leader escapes
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Police have arrested four suspected child traffickers operating around Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps in North Bank, a suburb of Makurdi in Benue.
State Police Public Relations Officer Catherine Anene disclosed this in a statement which named the suspects as Member Friday (the ring leader’s wife), Stephen Terungwa, Sughter Akegh, and Atom Gideon.
Anene said the kingpin, identified as Friday, escaped arrest.
“During the interview session, the suspects confessed to having recruited pregnant girls who gave birth and handed over to one Friday, the kingpin who has been on the run,” the statement explained.
“They were paid N150,000 for each pregnancy that was delivered.
“One child that was earlier reported missing by his parents at Saudi Police Division was also rescued from the house of the said kingpin.”
The police advised members of the public to ensure their children are in safe places at all times, especially during the holidays, according to reporting by The PUNCH.
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NAPTIP rescues 19,000 trafficked persons, secures conviction of 32 traffickers
Up to 19,000 persons have been rescued by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) which also secured the conviction of 32 traffickers in court in the first five months of 2023.
NAPTIP Director of Intelligence and Public Enlightenment, Josiah Emerole, gave the figures in May in Abuja at a national learning, experience sharing and policy brief dissemination on combating human trafficking and unsafe migration.
The event was organised by Women Aid Collective (WACOL) with the support of the Swiss Government, managed by its Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).
“Between January and May 2023, NAPTIP secured the conviction of 32 persons for various offenses related to human trafficking. This is in addition to the no fewer than 19,000 persons rescued by the agency since its inception,” Emerole said.
Former Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) Controller General, Muhammad Babandede, identified bad governance as a major driver of illegal migration and human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is not only a matter of crime. Governance is a major issue. The issue of bad governance is the underlying factor that promotes illegal migration and trafficking,” he stressed.
“It is important to address this issue if we want to effectively combat human trafficking and unsafe migration.”
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