The Nasarawa State Police Command apprehended 10 individuals suspected of belonging to a child theft and trafficking syndicate. They are accused of stealing at least 45 children.
The Commissioner of Police, Shehu Nadada, revealed this while presenting the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Lafia on Friday.
According to the commissioner, police officers from the Keffi Division, during a routine patrol on January 10, intervened to rescue a man from a mob. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the man had allegedly abducted a five-year-old boy in Keffi.
The suspect later confessed to being part of a syndicate specializing in child abduction and trafficking for sale to the highest bidder.
Nadada stated that further inquiries led to the apprehension of nine additional syndicate members. Examination of their mobile phones revealed evidence suggesting they had stolen and sold 45 children, who were then illegally adopted by unsuspecting individuals nationwide.
Although the commissioner did not specify the timeframe during which the children were abducted, he mentioned that most were taken from Abuja, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Niger states.
He mentioned that six of the children had been located in Abuja, Ondo, and Lagos State, with ongoing efforts to apprehend additional accomplices and recover more of the abducted children.
Furthermore, he noted that the suspects admitted to selling numerous children at varying prices, ranging from N350,000 to N1.5 million, based on factors such as age and gender.
Nadada revealed that the suspects often collude with certain social welfare officers to fabricate false documents, facilitating the illicit sale of children to willing buyers.
The commissioner urged parents to be more vigilant regarding their children’s safety and cautioned prospective adoptive parents to exercise caution to avoid falling victim to criminal activities.