Nine children out of the 19 rescued from abductors in Kebbi state have been re-united with their parents.
The children were deceptively taken away from their parents by human traffickers in Zuru Emirate on the pretext of schooling in Gusau, but sold into slavery in Calabar, Cross River state.
The Head of NAPTIP in Kebbi state, Misbahu Iya Kaura, presented the nine youngsters to Governor Nasir Idris at the Government House, Birnin Kebbi, on Friday, and they were subsequently reunited with their parents who were at the Council Chamber.
He informed the governor that the Agency recently rescued all the 19 children from Calabar and other places in the Niger Delta, as well as apprehended those involved in their abduction.
He said, “Your Excellency, the case is in court, the nine children before you are those who testified in court, NAPTIP is here to seek your permission to reunite the children with their parents.
“Both the District Head of the area where they hailed from and their parents are present; we solicit your permission to hand them over to their parents.
“Sir, NAPTIP investigation showed that the human traffickers have agents in Zuru, deceiving parents to release their children for schooling purposes in Gusau.
“Unfortunately, from Gusau, the children are trafficked to Calabar, sold into slavery between N280, 000 and above, while the buyers change the names of the children to avoid detection.
Responding, Governor Idris directed the Agency to sustain its enlightenment programme against child and human trafficking, warning that the government would prosecute “whoever is involved in such nefarious act even to the Supreme Court.”
“I am also warning parents seriously not to be accomplices in child trafficking; any parent found to surrender his/her children for monetary benefits will face prosecution in court of law.
“The government will give N100, 000 to each of the nine children here now, while the parents and the District Head will also receive assistance to travel back to their places,” he said.