Monday, April 14, 2025 - The Kaduna State Government has rescued 13 children allegedly abducted and sold to child traffickers in Kebbi, Cross River, Enugu and Anambra State.
The state Commissioner for Human Services and Social
Development, Rabi Salisu, who disclosed this while speaking to journalists on
Saturday, April 12, 2025, said the rescued children were trafficked to Enugu
State by a syndicate, some of whom were yet to be arrested.
“One of the abducted children was stolen when the child was
seven days old and now, that same child is seven years old. The children cannot
identify their locations, but the authorities will do everything humanly
possible to ensure that all the children are reunited with their family
members,” Salisu said.
“All of them have their names changed from Hausa to other
names. Those brought to Kaduna are under the special intervention and emergency
support of the government under the ministry’s facility to provide psychosocial
counselling and support, nutritional food, medical care, and rehabilitation
“Upon review of the situation in one of the scenarios after
the arrest made, on March 24, 2025, the ministry received 11 children from the
office of the state Commissioner of Police from Abuja.”
Salisu said five members of the kidnapping gang confessed
that the gang leader operated an orphanage in Abuja to perpetrate the nefarious
act.
"She uses her orphanage as a temporary shelter for the
stolen children and negotiates for their sale to prospective buyers in the
eastern part of the country. This evil act is so alarming that all the children
found and brought back have lost their identities so much that they can’t
remember their original homes.
“Seven of the children were received on 9th April 2025 from
the state Commissioner of Police’s office. The remaining children from Abuja
and six others brought back from Birnin Kebbi, were abducted and sold to a
woman nicknamed Maman Salamatu, in Calabar (real name concealed as the case is
still under investigation in Kebbi), the commissioner stated,” Salisu added.
She called on parents, who lost their children and are
searching for them to come forward with concrete evidence, including proof of
birth and other relevant information.
She advised parents to be vigilant, imbibe the culture of
good parenting, and nurture their children with good moral upbringing to
protect them against all forms of abuse, violence and exploitation.
Ali Adamu,
whose daughter, Maryam, was abducted two months ago in Kogi State, thanked the
ministry and all other government agencies for reuniting him with his daughter.
Watch the video below:
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