- Kano police arrest nine members of syndicate, rescued seven kids
The Kano State Police Command has busted a syndicate that specialized in stealing children from the North, changing their identity and selling them in the South.
The Kano State Commissioner of Police CP Mohammed Usaini Gumel paraded nine members of the syndicate along with seven children rescued from them on Thursday in Kano.
He said the police Command has conducted several intelligence-led operations through which the longtime cycle of inter-state trafficking syndicate hibernating around Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, Lagos, Delta, Anambra, and Imo states, etc was identified and dismantled.
CP Gumel added that a total of nine suspects were arrested with seven victims who are mostly minors being rescued from the clutches of this harrowing criminal activities.
Giving details of the human trafficking cases and the arrest of the syndicate that specialized in abduction, buying and selling of minors, the CP said:
“On 15/12/2023 at about 1535hrs, a team of Policemen, while on intelligence-led surveillance duties at Mariri Luxurious Park Kano, intercepted one Comfort Amos, aged 45 years, ‘f’ of Tudun Wada Quarters while transiting to Lagos with a child, one Abdulmutalib Sa’ad, aged 5 years, ‘m’, of Zango Quarters in Bauchi State.
“At the stage of preliminary investigation, four other suspects namely: Chika Ezugbu, aged 52 years, ‘f’ of Sabon Gari Quarters; Joy Nzelu, aged 43 years, ‘f’ of Sabon Gari Quarters; Clement Ali, aged 35 years, ‘m’ of Badawa Quarters, Kano, and Emeka Ekeidigwe, aged 55 years, ‘m’, of Weitherhead Sabon Gari Quarters Kano were separately arrested for being part of the syndicate that is committing the crimes.
“It was discovered during the investigation that the child Abdulmutalib Sa’ad of Zango Quarters was abducted on 12/12/2023 from Bauchi State. Further investigation revealed that the suspects are in the same cycle of abducting, buying and selling minors from Bauchi and Kano States, trafficking and selling them to people within their racket in different locations in Lagos and Anambra States.
“In addition, two more syndicate members were arrested in Bauchi, namely: Ruth Yarima, aged 45 years, ‘f’, of Zango Quarters Bauchi and Abner Samuel, aged 35 years, ‘m’, of Yelwa LGA Bauchi State.
“One other syndicate member was also arrested in Lagos State; she is Nndemma Obi, indigene of Nnewi, Anambra State, aged 59 years, through whom another syndicate member was also arrested at Anambra State, she is Ebere Eriobuna, aged 59 years, ‘f’, of Nnewi.
“This brought the total number of the child trafficking syndicate suspects to nine, among them seven children between the ages of 3 and 8 have been rescued by the Police.
“It was found during investigations that another victim Mohammed Ilya who was abducted from Bauchi but his name changed to Chidebere was sold recently at Nnewi in Anambra State. He has also been rescued.”
The CP also narrated the pathetic story on how the network was run over the last 10 years:
“Abdulmutallib Sa’ad, aged 5 years, ‘m’, was abducted from Bauchi, his name changed to Ifeanyin Chukwu and sold at ₦480,000:00, but rescued by the police at Mariri Luxurious Park.
“Asiya Muktar, her name changed to Chioma, sold N480,000 aged 4 years, ‘f’, abducted from Bauchi, and rescued at Niger Road, Sabon Gari Quarters, Kano.
“Mahmud Bilyaminu, aged 3 years, ‘m’, abducted from Bauchi, re-named Chioma, sold for N450,000 and rescued at Niger Road, Sabon Gari, Kano.
“Usman Adamu, aged 8 years, ‘m’, abducted from Bauchi, sold at ₦450,000:00, and his name changed to Chibuke also rescued at Yoruba Road, Sabon Gari Kano.
“Hafizu Hassan, aged 8 years, ‘m’, abducted from Bauchi, sold at ₦480,000:00, and his name changed to Uche Chukwu rescued at Niger Road, Sabon Gari Kano.
“Chiamaka Ambrose, aged 7 years, ‘f’, abducted on birthday at Yelwa Bauchi, sold at ₦300,000:00, rescued at Niger Road, Sabon Gari Kano, we are still searching for her parents.
“Mohammed Iliya, aged 5 years, ‘m’, abducted from Bauchi 3 years back, sold at ₦500,000:00, and renamed as “Chidebere” been rescued at Nnewi, Anambra State.”
The police said some of the rescued children have been cultured and assimilated to the extent that they can no longer speak their parents’ language.
The CP restated his determination to ensuring that Kano State remains a place where the rights and dignity of every individual are upheld. “Therefore, the general public should remain assured that this police command under my watch has put in place reinforced security measures to end this kind of sensitive illegal acts once and for all,” he said.
