Nigeria: “Kano Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicate, Rescue Seven Children Sold for N400,000 to N500,000 in Southern States”
By Ahmad Hadizat Omayoza, Mamos Nigeria
Kano State Police Command recently uncovered a child trafficking syndicate involved in the sale of children from Kano for amounts ranging between N400,000 and N500,000 in various Southern states, including Lagos and Anambra. The police, under the leadership of Commissioner Mohammed Gumel, successfully rescued seven children, aged three to eight years, who had been stolen as infants and had their names changed before being sold.
The operation began when Comfort, attempting to traffic a five-year-old victim to Lagos, was intercepted at the Mariri luxurious park in Kano. This led to the arrest of eight other members of the syndicate. Preliminary investigations resulted in the separate arrests of four additional suspects—Ezugbu, Nzelu, Ali, and Ekeidigwe—who were part of the child trafficking network.
Commissioner Gumel emphasized the police command’s commitment to dismantling human trafficking syndicates operating between Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, Lagos, Delta, Anambra, Imo, and other states. Further investigations revealed that the syndicate abducted, bought, and sold minors from Bauchi and Kano, trafficking them to locations in Lagos and Anambra.
The rescued children, each with their names changed, included Ilya (now Chidebere), Asiya (now Chioma), Mahmud Bilyaminu (now Chioma), Usman Adamu (now Chibuke), Hafizu Hassan (now Uche Chukwu), Chiamaka Ambrose, and Mohammed Iliya (now Chidebere). The children were abducted from Bauchi and successfully rescued at various locations in Kano and Nnewi, Anambra State.
Commissioner Gumel highlighted the cultural assimilation of some children, making it challenging to communicate in their parents’ language. The police’s determination to uphold the rights and dignity of individuals in Kano State remained a focal point of their efforts against such criminal activities. The investigations underscore the urgency of addressing the complex issue of child trafficking and the need for collaborative efforts to eradicate this menace.
