NAPTIP reunites 5 abducted children with parents

National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has reunited 5 abducted children under the age range of 4-7 with their parents. 

The children were abducted at various times by a man, Musa Abdulrahman (32) who sold them to unsuspecting women in different parts of the country in the guise of adoption. 

While handling over the children to their parents at the Headquarters of NAPTIP, the Director General, Imaam Sulaiman - Ibrahim, called on parents to ensure adequate protection of their children to avoid incidences of crimes against children.

Narrating how the children were rescued, She explained that operatives of the Agency mounted surveillance on the suspect who hails from Nkonni Enagi, Edati, Niger State for a while following intelligence reports that the Economics Graduate from the University of Maiduguri kidnaps children from Niger State and sells them to some families in different parts of the country in the name of adoption and claiming to be a staff of the Ministry of Social Development of Niger State in charge of adoption matters. He also issues the would be parents adoption papers purportedly from the Niger State Government.

However, luck ran out of when operatives of the agency caught him red handed while helping some clients fill their adoption application forms and other papers.

Confessing his crimes, he stated that he had kidnapped and sold six children under the guise of adoption, and started the kidnapping business in 2016 with all his victims being from Niger state. He confessed to have forged some adoption documents which he issued to the people he sold the kidnapped children to. He disclosed that he collected the sum of 100,000 for each of the children. 

The agency said that all the six children have been rescued, and it's operatives are making efforts to locate the parents of the last child. The suspect was been arraigned in Court in accordance with the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act (TIPPEA), 2015.

Imaam urged the general public to continuously assist the Agency with useful information which will lead to the arrest of child traffickers in the country. 

Also, she appealed to couples and other members of the public who as challenged and in need of children to endeavour to follow due process so as to avoid any problem arising from any form of illegality as children are not commodities to be sold at will.