Teacher arrested with 59 trafficked Kano children on Abuja highway
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command successfully dismantled a child trafficking syndicate on Wednesday, rescuing 59 children who were being transported to various parts of the country.
According to News Point Nigeria, the children, aged between 4 and 12 years, were rescued by the police Patrol and Guard unit along the Abuja-Kano highway.
The operation, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sarki Umar, involved intercepting a white Peugeot 15 bus with the registration number KMC 283 ZJ. The bus was driven by Idris Usman, a resident of Kano State, accompanied by Alhassan Ibrahim, also from Kano State.
During a parade of the suspects in Abuja, FCT Police Commissioner Olatunji Disu revealed that preliminary investigations showed the children came from various families. They were being transported by Idris Usman, a resident of Nasarawa State. Usman claimed that he ran an Islamiyyah school in Nasarawa State and had traveled to Kano to pick up the children under the pretext of training them.
Commissioner Disu classified the incident as a case of suspected child abuse and trafficking, highlighting the absence of proper documentation or parental consent for the children’s transportation.
At present, the suspects, the vehicle, and the children are in police custody while investigations continue. The FCT Police Command is collaborating with the FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS) to safely reunite the children with their families and ensure that all individuals involved are brought to justice.
The Police Commissioner assured that the command would continue to protect vulnerable groups, particularly children, from exploitation and abuse, in line with the 2003 Child’s Right Act. He also urged parents and guardians to be vigilant and ensure the safety of their children.
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