NAPTIP hands over 21 tr@fficked minors to Niger state Government
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Tr@fficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has handed over 21 boys rescued from alleged human tr@ffickers to the Niger State Government.
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Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, handed over the children to officials of the Niger State Government in Abuja on Tuesday, 6th Feb. 2025.
She explained that the children, aged between 5 and 10 years, were about to be tr@fficked from the Republic of Niger through the Yobe border when they were intercepted by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and immediately handed over to NAPTIP.
On Sunday, the NAPTIP commander in Yobe State interviewed the suspected tr@fficker and escalated the information to the headquarters. Before the news was communicated to Niger State Government, and they responded immediately.
Binta Adamu Bello added “I was able to get across to the SSG, who linked me up with the relevant commissioner, who promised to come and pick up the children for rehabilitation.
The information I had was that they were being taken to an Islamic school in Nigeria, and that forced me to ask the Niger State officials if there was no Islamic school in Niger, and they confirmed that there are lots of them in the state.”
She commended the officials who were vigilant enough to rescue the children and recommended proper counselling for the children and their parents. She also suggested that the children should be enrolled in school to receive both Islamic and Western education so they could be useful to themselves and society.
Niger State Commissioner for Humanitarian and Dis@ster Management, Ahmed Yumu, who took custody of the children, appreciated the vigilance and prompt response of NIS and NAPTIP officials that led to the rescue.
