The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), has dismantled an interstate child trafficking network and arrested seven suspects, including a female truck driver.
The syndicate, known for abducting and trafficking children across Nigeria, was intercepted in Abuja while attempting to sell a three-year-old girl stolen from Damaturu, Yobe State. Among those arrested was 33-year-old Hasana Jacob, a truck driver for a well-known cement company in Obajana, Kogi State.
Other suspects include Aisha Suleiman, Murtala Tanimu, Shamsu Tanimu, Adamu Jacob, Abubakar Ahmed, and Ali Muhammed. Preliminary investigations revealed that the group used a cement truck to transport abducted children undetected, selling them for up to ₦600,000 each.
NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Bello, condemned the crime as "a heinous act against humanity," expressing shock that a woman played a leading role in the operation. She commended the DSS for its support and urged stronger collaboration among law enforcement agencies to combat child trafficking.
Meanwhile, the 22-tire cement truck used in the operation has been impounded as investigations continue.
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