The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Kano has taken in six rescued street children, and successfully reunited four victims of child trafficking with their families.
Mr. Abdullahi Babale, the Kano Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, made this announcement during a press conference in Kano on Thursday.
Babale explained that the children were rescued along Zoo Road in Kano metropolis by a good Samaritan, Hon. Kabir Abdulhamid, who handed them over to the agency on September 24.
The children, all males aged between 7 and 9, included four from Katsina, one from Azare in Bauchi State, and one from Niger Republic. Babale noted that investigations revealed the children had been living on the streets for over a year, with no relatives in Kano to care for them.
“These children have been fending for themselves on the streets, and they’ve had no one to turn to,” Babale said.
NAPTIP provided the children with new clothes, bags, shoes, food, and temporary shelter before facilitating their safe return to Katsina and Bauchi, where they were reunited with their families.
In addition to this, Babale reported that NAPTIP had also received four rescued victims of child trafficking and arrested a suspect linked to the crime. The victims, aged between 10 and 13, were rescued by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
“The suspect brought the victims from Zaria to Kano with the intention of selling them,” Babale revealed. “The victims have since been reunited with their families, and the suspect will be charged to court after investigations are completed.”
Babale urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their children and called on the public to report any suspicious activities related to human trafficking.
“I am appealing to the public that the fight against human trafficking should not be left to NAPTIP alone. We need the support and cooperation so that together we can fight the crime,” he said. “NAPTIP will always remain committed to preventing all forms of exploitation against children and women, and to protecting the vulnerable in our communities to ensure a safer, better society.”