The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has rescued 15 minors who were allegedly trafficked and sold for N2 million each by a suspected member of a human trafficking syndicate operating in Nasarawa State.
The NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this at a news briefing at the corps' headquarters in Abuja on Friday, saying the children were among 16 minors trafficked from the Kama Madaki and Gudindi Mada communities in Kokona Local Government Area of the state.
According to Afolabi, the suspect allegedly posed as an official of the National Council of Child Rights Advocate and used the cover of a fake NGO to deceive parents into giving up their children.
"Under the guise of operating an NGO and orphanage programme called the Back to School Project, he lured willing, less privileged parents into releasing their children with promises of free education," Afolabi said.
He said the rescue operation was carried out by the Commandant General's Special Intelligence Squad, led by Commander Dandaura Appollos, which tracked the children down to buyers scattered across different parts of the country.
"Through advanced field tracking, technical intelligence and multi-state tactical sweeps, operatives of the CG's SIS tracked down the buyers who were from different locations in the country," he said.
Afolabi said three of the victims were recovered in Anambra, Imo and Enugu states, while the remaining 12 were rescued in a coordinated operation carried out across eastern transit routes.
He added that three suspected buyers, one man and two women, have since been arrested in connection with the case.
Afolabi said the NSCDC maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards crime and human trafficking, and that all suspects found culpable would be prosecuted once the corps concludes its investigation.
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