Nasarawa Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicate, Rescue 45 Childre

Nasarawa Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicate, Rescue 45 Children

In a significant breakthrough, the Nasarawa State Police Command has apprehended and paraded 12 individuals suspected of operating a child trafficking syndicate responsible for the theft and sale of 45 children….READ ALSO Police Commissioner In Lagos Implements Tracking Device To Curb Criminal Activities”

The suspects were presented to the public on Friday, February 16, 2024, at the Police Command Headquarters in Lafia, where they faced charges for their involvement in various crimes across the state.

Addressing reporters, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Shehu Umar Nadada, disclosed that the command had arrested a total of 57 suspects since the beginning of the year. Among them were three suspected kidnappers, three armed robbery suspects, and twenty individuals linked to fraud-related activities.

CP Nadada recounted a particular incident on January 10, 2024, where police officers from the Keffi Division intervened in a mob action and rescued a 5-year-old boy abducted by Ismaila Adamu at Tsohon Kasuwa, Keffi. Adamu’s arrest led to a startling revelation about a child trafficking syndicate operating in the area.

Further investigation by the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit resulted in the apprehension of additional suspects, including Hassana Jacob, Elishua Idoko, Gloria Ene, Abdulkarim Abubakar, Ramatu Ibrahim, Victoria Cosmos, Eforma Sunday, Dorcas Ologbo, and Sherifat Amuda.

Analysis of the suspects’ phones revealed the shocking extent of their activities, with evidence indicating the theft and illegal adoption of 45 children across the country. The suspects confessed to selling the children for prices ranging from N350,000 to N1,500,000, exploiting vulnerabilities and producing fake documents with the help of complicit Social Welfare officers.

Fortunately, six children have been rescued in Abuja, Ondo, and Lagos states. Authorities are intensifying efforts to apprehend additional suspects involved in the criminal network and recover more stolen children.

The police also seized various incriminating items from the suspects, including counterfeit foreign currency, firearms, ammunition, motorcycles, and vehicles, underscoring the gravity of the syndicate’s operations.