The Sokoto State Police Command has apprehended ten members of a human trafficking and child abduction ring and successfully rescued 21 children from their captors.
State Commissioner of Police, CP Ali Hayatu Kaigama, made this significant announcement while addressing newsmen at the command headquarters in Sokoto on Thursday, May 30, 2024. The operation is a major breakthrough in the ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking and child abduction in the region.
Commissioner Kaigama detailed the extensive investigation that led to these arrests, highlighting the complexity and reach of the syndicate. Among those apprehended is Bala Abubakar from the Tudun Wada area of Sokoto. Abubakar stands accused of the heinous crime of selling a total of 28 children, a shocking number that includes six of his own biological children.
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Kaigama elaborated on the methods used by the syndicate, explaining that the suspects would hand over their young victims to two women, Kulu Dongoyaro and Elizabeth Ojah. These women acted as intermediaries, claiming to take the children to an NGO based in Abuja. They convinced the parents or guardians that this organization would take on the responsibility of the children’s welfare, a false assurance used to facilitate their crimes. The children were exchanged for sums ranging from N150,000 to N250,000, a cruel commodification of human lives.
The Commissioner emphasized the deceptive tactics employed by the traffickers, who preyed on vulnerable families under the guise of offering their children a better future. The rescue of the 21 children marks a critical step in dismantling this syndicate and highlights the urgent need for continued vigilance and law enforcement efforts to protect children from such exploitation.
Kaigama reaffirmed the commitment of the Sokoto State Police Command to pursuing justice for the victims and ensuring that those responsible for these atrocious acts are held accountable. The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests and rescues are anticipated as the command continues to uncover the full extent of the syndicate’s operations.
