The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested a female human trafficker and six others that specialized in interstate stealing of children.
The suspect who was arrested with his driver usually steal children in different parts of the country.
The Agency’s Spokesperson, Mr. Vincent Adekoye in a Statement yesterday said the suspects were arrested in connection with sister Law Enforcement Agencies.
It would be recalled that the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, upon assumption of Office towards the end of last year, embarked on targeted advocacy visits to other sister Law Enforcement Agencies, Civil Society organizations, and other stakeholders, with an emphasis on improved cooperation, support in the fight against human trafficking.
The suspect, Hasana Jacob, 33 years -old from Mangu Local Government of Plateau State is an alternate female Truck Driver of a popular Cement Company located in Obajana in Kogi State.
She was arrested along with the Cement Truck branded in the name and logo of the Company together with 6 other suspected members of the gang who were identified as Aisha Suleiman, Murtala Tanimu, Shamsu Tanimu, Adamu Jacob, Abubakar Ahmed, and Ali Muhammed.
“She was arrested in Abuja by the operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) while trying to sell off their latest victim, a 3-year-old girl that was stolen from Damaturu, Yobe State to a buyer.”
During investigation it was revealed that Jacob commands a professional human trafficking syndicate that specializes in stealing children between the ages of One and above and selling them to interested buyers at the rate of Six Hundred thousand Naira each to the buyers.
“The truck driver believes that because she work with the popular Cement Company, it will easy for her to steal children at any of the terminals across the Country, evade security check on the roads, and deliver such stolen children to her gang members at any location without being noticed by security agencies across the country.
“The syndicates has membership across the country with different roles. While some members of the trafficking ring, hunt and lure victims to the truck terminal where they will be picked up by Jacob, others arrange interested buyers at any of the terminals across the country even before the arrival of the victim thereby making it fast for the gang leader to dispose off the stolen child and collect money.”
The NAPTIP DG Bello Commended the Director General of the DSS for his support to the Agency which culminated in the arrest of the notorious human trafficking syndicate.
She, however, expressed sadness over the situation describing it as a heinous crime against humanity. “I am deeply sad by the latest arrest. It is painful to note that human beings will organize a criminal gang, use a branded vehicle of a Company, move from one part of the Country to another, steal children belonging to other families, and sell them to interested buyers whose motives for the children are not known.
“They create everlasting sorrow and pain for those families and smile to the bank after selling those children. This is unimaginable and it is a condemnable act of wickedness. This is more painful when the arrowhead of this evil syndicate is a woman who knows the pain of motherhood.
“I sincerely appreciate the support of the DSS in the fight against human trafficking. While the seized cement truck used to traffic the children has been impounded by NAPTIP and the suspects in our custody.”
