A joint operation by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Department of State Services (DSS) has busted a human trafficking syndicate specializing in the theft and sale of children.
The arrest of the group, led by a female truck driver, NAPTIP said through its press officer, Vincent Adekoye, is a breakthrough in the fight against human trafficking.
The prime suspect, Hasana Jacob, a 33-year-old truck driver from Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, was arrested alongside six other members of the gang in Abuja, while attempting to sell a three-year-old girl stolen from Damaturu, Yobe State.
Hasana, an alternate truck driver for a popular cement company based in Lokoja, Kogi State, allegedly used her position to transport stolen children across Nigeria, evading security checks.
The six other suspects—Aisha Suleiman, Murtala Tanimu, Shamsu Tanimu, Adamu Jacob, Abubakar Ahmed, and Ali Muhammed are believed to be part of an organized network that recruits victims, arranges buyers, and facilitates transactions.
Investigations revealed that the gang sold each stolen child for ₦600,000.
The female truck driver uses the branded cement trucks to transport stolen children undetected, moving freely between different terminals across the country, where she would hand over children to other gang members.
Some members lured victims to the truck terminals, while others arranged buyers in advance, ensuring quick and discreet transactions.
The syndicate is suspected to have nationwide connections, with operatives working in different regions to identify, abduct, and sell children.
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Reacting to the arrests, NAPTIP Director General, Binta Bello, commended the DSS for their continued support in fighting human trafficking.
She expressed deep concern over the syndicate’s operations, emphasizing the pain and suffering inflicted on affected families.
“It is painful to note that human beings will organize a criminal gang, use a branded company vehicle, steal children belonging to other families, and sell them for profit.
“They create everlasting sorrow and pain for those families while smiling to the bank. This is unimaginable wickedness, and even more painful when the leader of this syndicate is a woman who understands the pain of motherhood,” the NAPTIP boss said
Bello reaffirmed NAPTIP’s commitment to intensifying efforts against human trafficking, calling for stronger cooperation among law -enforcement agencies.
Meanwhile, the 22-tyre cement truck used in the operation has been impounded, and the suspects are set to face prosecution.
