The Niger State Government has taken custody of 21 children who were rescued from an alleged trafficking attempt from Magama Local Government Area to destinations in Cameroon, Mali, and Niger Republic. Security agents intercepted the children in Gaidam, Yobe State, preventing their illegal movement across borders.
Receiving the children in Minna on Wednesday, Deputy Governor Comrade Yakubu Garba expressed deep concern over the growing menace of child trafficking. He emphasized that the government would take decisive action against traffickers, adding that the children were often subjected to various forms of abuse in such situations.
However, in a twist to the case, a parent, Jamilu Usman, admitted that he willingly handed over two of his children, Umar Jamilu (6 years old) and Maruf Jamilu (5 years old), to one of the suspected traffickers, Malam Abubakar. Usman, who identified himself as the headmaster of Tungan Gari Primary School in Magama, defended his decision, stating that Abubakar was well known to him and that he had sent his children to Niger Republic to acquire Islamic education.
“I have four wives and 30 children. I will retire in five years, and taking care of all of them will be challenging. That is why I allowed my children to go with Malam Abubakar for their studies,” he explained.
Despite Usman’s claims, the Niger State Government has insisted that child trafficking is a crime and condemned the act as a violation of Section 34(1) and Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution, which prohibit trafficking and all forms of inhuman treatment.
The Deputy Governor thanked the Federal Government and security agencies for their role in intercepting the suspected traffickers and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to fighting child trafficking, violence, and injustice.
Investigations into the case are ongoing, and the suspected trafficker remains in custody.