Trafficker confesses to selling over 42 children into child labour
A 45-year-old child trafficker, Alimot Haruna, shocked authorities by confessing to selling over 42 children into child labour over the past five years. The arrest took place on Wednesday by a team of officers from the Ijora Badia Police Station, Lagos Police Command.
According to reports, the suspect, whose operational base is located in Ilorin, Kwara state capital, had been on the police wanted list for similar crimes. In her confession, she revealed that she operates from her base in Molete village in Kwara.
“I have sold over 42 children to different clients in the past. Most of my clients are based in Lagos. My target are children between the ages 7 and 12 years. I bring the children to Lagos for child labour,” she admitted during interrogation.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest and elaborated that three underage children had been rescued from the suspect. Hundeyin revealed that the suspect, identified as the leader of a child trafficking syndicate, was apprehended after three months of discrete investigation.
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He further mentioned, “The command had been on the trail of the syndicate since it got information about its activities. On January 25, 2023, at about 5.45pm, the leader of syndicate one Alimot Haruna of Molete village in Ilorin, Kwara state, was apprehended by detectives monitoring her movement. In the process, three underage children, two female and one male whose names could not be ascertained, ages 12 and 7 of no fixed addresses were rescued from her.”
The suspect’s confessional statement led to the revelation that she had illegally brought over 52 children to Lagos for child labor without the consent of their parents. It was also uncovered that the suspect had been declared wanted by the Kwara state Police Command in connection with the disappearance of many underaged children.
Efforts are currently underway to rescue the remaining eight children, and the Anti-Trafficking unit of the Kwara state Command is expected to harmonize the case.
The arrest of this trafficking ringleader marks a significant stride in combating child exploitation and upholding the rights of vulnerable children in the region.
