The Niger State Government revealed that 21 minors who were being trafficked to the Niger Republic, Sudan, and Chad had been rescued.
According to investigations, a syndicate recruited children, who were all from the Magama Local Government Area, by pretending that they were enrolled in an Islamic education program.
This was revealed by the deputy governor of Niger State, Yakubu Garba who expressed astonishment and dismay at the conditions surrounding their rescue operation on Wednesday while he paraded the trafficked youngsters in his office.
Garba stated that a suspected member of a syndicate linked to the trafficking scheme was apprehended in Geidam, Yobe State while transporting the children to Niger Republic.
He however declined to reveal the name of the syndicate group or the persons behind the group. He said the name would be made public as soon as security agents were done with their investigations.
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“It is under a very disturbing circumstance that the government of Niger State convenes this press conference. We are taken aback by the resurgence of trafficking in persons which is being orchestrated by merchants of evil.
“Just yesterday 21 indigenes of Niger State from Magama Local Government Area were rescued from a syndicate of human traffickers. These were all young boys with an average age of 10 years. Human trafficking denigrates human dignity, it is a crime that strikes off our common ideals of brotherhood
