Operatives from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have rescued over 180 children who were allegedly trafficked from five states across the federation by certain organised criminal groups that are posing as members of civil society organisations, misleading parents in various communities and taking their children away under false pretences.

The most recent rescue involved the recovery of three children allegedly trafficked from a distressed parent in Kajuru, Kaduna State, from a high-rise private building in a desirable area of Onitsha, Anambra State. Additionally, another child was found in the care of a Clinical staff member at the Federal Medical Centre in Onitsha.

The development came just as the Director General of the Agency, Binta Adamu Bello, OON, raised concerns about the alarming activities of some suspected trafficking syndicates that now move from one crisis-ridden community to the other, trafficking children under the guise of educational support and back-to-school programmes.

It should be recalled that, following a series of reported cases of missing children across the country, the Director General of NAPTIP established a Special Squad within the Investigation and Monitoring Department a few months ago. This squad was tasked with recovering children who were allegedly trafficked and bringing the traffickers to justice.

The first batch of recovered children consisted of those reportedly taken from various communities in Benue and Nasarawa States. These children were distributed to orphanages in Abuja and other states, where they were sold to unidentified individuals under the guise of adoption, after substantial amounts of money were paid.

In his statement shortly before he was reunited with his son, the father of one of the Children (name withheld) commended the management of NAPTIP for helping him to recover his Son.

He said, "I am overwhelmed with joy because I had initially lost hope of seeing my Son. It happened three years ago when some unknown gunmen invaded Kajuru, my Community.

ASA