The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Kano has received six street children and reunited four victims of child trafficking with their families.
Mr. Abdullahi Babale, the Kano Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, disclosed this during a news conference held in Kano on Thursday.
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According to Babale, the street children, all boys aged between 7 and 9, were rescued by a good Samaritan, Kabir Abdulhamid, along Zoo Road in Kano metropolis. Abdulhamid handed the children over to the agency on September 24.
“Four of the children are from Katsina, one is from Azare in Bauchi State, and another from Niger Republic,” Babale said.
Preliminary investigations by the agency revealed that the children had been living on the streets for over a year, without any relatives in Kano, and were fending for themselves. The agency provided the boys with new clothes, bags, shoes, food, and shelter before facilitating their transportation back to Katsina and Bauchi, where they were reunited with their families.
In addition to the rescue of the street children, Babale confirmed that the agency received four victims of child trafficking who were rescued by the Nigeria Police Force. One suspect has been arrested in connection with the crime.
“The suspect brought the victims, aged between 10 and 13, to Kano from Zaria 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 once investigations are concluded.”
Babale urged parents and guardians to keep a close watch on their children and called on Kano residents to report any suspicious cases of human trafficking to the authorities.
“I am appealing to the public that the fight against human trafficking should not be left to NAPTIP alone. We need support and cooperation so that together, we can combat this crime,” he said. “NAPTIP remains committed to preventing all forms of exploitation against children and women, and to ensuring a safer and better society for all.”
