Joyful Reunion: Eight Trafficked Children Rescued and Reunited with Families in Taraba

The Taraba State Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development, in partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has successfully reunited eight trafficked children with their families after they were deceitfully taken to southeastern Nigeria.

The children, originally from Minda village in Lau Local Government Area, were misrepresented as orphans and trafficked to urban centers including Aba, Onitsha, and parts of Imo State. Their rescue followed a covert operation in Gembu, located in Sardauna Local Government Area, carried out after intelligence reports were received.

During a press briefing in Jalingo, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Child Development, Hon. Mary Sinjen, confirmed the rescue and explained that the children had been taken under false pretenses before being sold to unsuspecting adopters.

“These children were deceitfully taken and sold under the guise of being orphans. With the help of NAPTIP, we traced and safely returned them to their families,” she stated. Sinjen further condemned the incident and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to protecting children from abuse, exploitation, and trafficking.

Also present at the briefing, NAPTIP’s State Commandant, Mr. Emos Gembo, disclosed that the primary suspect, identified as Patience, confessed to selling the children for between ₦50,000 and ₦80,000 depending on their age. The suspect is currently in custody and legal proceedings are underway.

Gembo emphasized the seriousness of the case and assured the public that justice will be served. He also urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant and to promptly report any suspicious activities within their communities.