The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Kano State has arrested two suspects for allegedly luring two minors with promises of money and gifts in an attempt to traffic them to another part of Nigeria.
The suspects, identified as Sadiq Muhammad Abdullahi, 25, and Destiny Joseph, 18, were arrested at Wailari, Kano State, following a report by a family member of one of the children.
The NSCDC said the suspects allegedly targeted two minors, aged 10 and 12, and attempted to gain their trust before trafficking them for financial benefit.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Abdullahi, the suspects were arrested at their residence after a relative of one of the victims became suspicious of their activities.
The statement said the suspects had confessed to the alleged offence during preliminary investigation. It added that investigators were also examining allegations that the children could have been targeted for ritual purposes.
“In what investigators described as part of the alleged trafficking plan, Sadiq Muhammad reportedly took photographs of the minors in an attempt to establish contact with a trafficking syndicate,” the statement said.
The command said the alleged plan was uncovered after the family member reported the suspicious development to the NSCDC office in Wailari.
The Kano State Commandant, Mohammed Hassan Agalama, has directed the Gender Unit of the command to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged attempted trafficking.
The investigation will also seek to identify other individuals who may have been involved in the alleged plan, the command said.
The NSCDC said the suspects would be handed over to the Kano Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) after the investigation for further investigation and prosecution.
Agalama commended the family member for promptly reporting the suspicious activities, saying community vigilance and timely reporting were critical to preventing child trafficking, abduction and exploitation.
He urged parents, guardians and members of the public to remain vigilant and immediately report suspicious movements or activities involving children to security agencies.
