Security operatives have rescued 16 children who are being trafficked to Anambra State.
All the victims are from Plateau State.
Their rescue was confirmed by the Plateau State government through the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development.
It disclosed that the children were trafficked from Bassa Local Government Area of the state to Anambra State.
The Commissioner in charge of the Ministry, Caroline Dafur, who disclosed this in a statement in Jos on Saturday, said the children who are between the ages of four and nine, were rescued by eagle eyed security personnel as they were being taken to a motor park for the onward journey to their destination.
The Commissioner, while handing over the children to their respective families and community representatives at the J.D. Gomwalk Secretariat in Jos, said the suspects behind the dastardly act have been arrested and will be prosecuted after thorough investigation has been carried out.
Dafur, who described the rescue of the trafficked children as a significant step in the fight against child trafficking in the state, emphasized that the Gov. Caleb Mufwang administration was fully committed to defending the rights of the vulnerable.
“This rescue represents triumph over trauma, resilience, and hope restored in a world where the innocence of childhood should be protected,” Dafur said, while calling on members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities.
Child trafficking remains on the increase despite the efforts of government agencies, especially the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP.
While some of the children end up as domestic servants, some are bought by couples in desperate need of children.
There are also claims that some others end up in the hands of ritualists, reinforcing the need for parents to tighten safety around their children.
