NSCDC Rescues 15 Minors Trafficked by ‘Fake NGO Official Who Promised Them Free Education’

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has rescued 15 minors trafficked for N2 million each in Nasarawa state.

During a press briefing on Friday at the corps’ headquarters in Abuja, Babawale Afolabi, NSCDC spokesperson, said the suspect posed as an official of the National Council of Child Rights Advocates to deceive parents of the children into handing over the minors to him.

He said the suspect promised less privileged parents free education for their children.

“Under the guise of operating an NGO and orphanage programme called the Back to School Project, he lured willing, less privileged parents into releasing their children with promises of free education,” Afolabi said.

Afolabi said the children were rescued by the Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS), led by Dandaura Appollos.

He said 16 children were trafficked from Kama Madaki and Gudindi Mada communities in Kokona LGA of Nasarawa state, while 15 have so far been rescued from their buyers.

He said the operatives relied on intelligence and field tracking to locate the buyers.

“Through advanced field tracking, technical intelligence and multi-state tactical sweeps, operatives of the CG’s SIS tracked down the buyers who were from different locations in the country,” he said.

Afolabi said three of the victims were rescued in Anambra, Imo and Enugu states, respectively, while 12 others were rescued during a coordinated operation along eastern transit routes.

He said three buyers, including a man and two women, had been arrested in connection with the case.

The NSCDC spokesperson said the corps maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards crime and human trafficking.

He added that all suspects found culpable would be prosecuted after the completion of the investigation.