2 hours ago
3 ARTICLE AD
The Niger State Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba
Niger State Government on Wednesday announced the rescue of 21 children who were being trafficked through the state to Niger Republic, Sudan, and Chad.
Investigations revealed that the children, all from Magama Local Government Area, were recruited by a syndicate under the guise of enrolling them in an Islamic learning programme.
The Deputy Governor of Niger State, Yakubu Garba, who made this known on Wednesday when he paraded the trafficked children in his office expressed both shock and dismay over the circumstances surrounding their rescue operation.
Garba stated that a suspected member of a syndicate linked to the trafficking scheme was apprehended in Geidam, Yobe State, while in the process of transporting the children to Niger Republic.
He however declined to reveal the name of the syndicate group or the persons behind the group. He said the name would be made public as soon as security agents were done with their investigations.
“It is under a very disturbing circumstance that the government of Niger State convenes this press conference. We are taken aback by the resurgence of trafficking in persons which is being orchestrated by merchants of evil.
“Just yesterday 21 indigenes of Niger State from Magama Local Government Area were rescued from a syndicate of human traffickers. These were all young boys with an average age of 10 years. Human trafficking denigrates human dignity, it is a crime that strikes off our common ideals of brotherhood.
“It destroys the fabric of our society and undermines the government’s creed of protecting all citizens against trafficking, violence, oppression, injustice and other forms of vices. Human trafficking contravenes Section 34 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“As a subnational government, we are in tandem with the federal government on measures that will tame human trafficking. Niger State has been grappling with monstrous terrorism and we will not condone any tendency that will be inimical to the peace, stability, security and well-being of our people,” Garba said.
