Friday, August 22, 2025 - 14 children trafficked from Adamawa State and sold in Anambra State for amounts ranging from N800,000 to N1.7 million have been rescued by Adamawa State Government.
On Wednesday, August 20, the Adamawa State government
reunited the rescued children with their parents at a ceremony in Yola, the
Adamawa state capital.
Speaking during the ceremony, Kaletapwa George Farauta,
Adamawa deputy governor, said after numerous reports of missing children in
July, the government set up a joint operation with security agencies to unravel
the situation.
Farauta said the operation led to the arrest of one Ngozi
Abdulwahab, a suspected trafficking kingpin, who operates a small provision
shop in Jambutu Ward, Yola north LGA.
The deputy governor said the suspect reportedly used snacks
and gifts to lure children between the ages of 4-9 before trafficking them to
Anambra.
“It is a mixed feeling of sadness and joy, it is sad that
today, Adamawa is on the map of an unfortunate monster ravaging the nation, the
monster of child trafficking,” she said.
“This is a story we often hear happening far away, but
unfortunately, it has caught up with us.
“This notorious trafficker has perfected the art of
trafficking minors aged four to nine years from various communities in Adamawa
to the south-eastern region of Nigeria.
“There, she sold the victims for paltry sums ranging from
N800,000 to N1.7 million per child.
“She operated from a small provision shop which she owned at
Jambutu ward, Yola-North LGA, where she used snacks and gifts to lure
unsuspecting children.
“Today, we have rescued 14 children and rehabilitated
them.”
The deputy governor said the suspects would be prosecuted
under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration
Act 2015, Adamawa Child Protection Law (2008), the Violence Against Persons
(Prohibition) Law 2021, and the Penal Code of the state.
She added that the family of each rescued child would
receive N100,000, food, and non-food items.
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