The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested a 33-year-old woman, Hasana Jacob, identified as the leader of a notorious child trafficking syndicate operating across Nigeria.
NAPTIP’s Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, confirmed the arrest on Tuesday, stating that Jacob was apprehended alongside six accomplices identified as Aisha Suleiman, Murtala Tanimu, Shamsu Tanimu, Adamu Jacob, Abubakar Ahmed, and Ali Muhammed.
According to Adekoye, the suspects were caught while attempting to sell a three-year-old girl stolen from Damaturu, Yobe State.
Investigations revealed that Jacob, who works as an alternate female truck driver for a well-known cement company in Obajana, Kogi State, used her 22-wheeled truck to traffic children across the country, evading security checks.
“The primary suspect, Jacob, who hails from Mangu Local Government in Plateau State, works as an alternate female truck driver for a well-known cement company located in Obajana, near Lokoja, Kogi State,” Adekoye said.
“Jacob used her position to facilitate the trafficking of children by evading security checks, transporting stolen children to various locations without suspicion.”
He further disclosed that the syndicate specialised in stealing children aged one and older and selling them for as much as N600,000 each.
“The criminal gang operates across the country, with members fulfilling different roles in the illegal operation,” Adekoye added.
Reacting to the arrests, NAPTIP’s Director-General, Hajiya Binta Adamu-Bello, condemned the syndicate’s activities, describing their activities as a “heinous crime against humanity.”
“It is painful to note that human beings would organise a criminal gang, use a branded company vehicle, and travel from one part of the country to another to steal children from other families,” she said.
“They cause lasting sorrow and pain for these families, and then smile all the way to the bank after selling the children. This is unimaginable and a reprehensible act of wickedness.
“This is even more painful when the leader of this evil syndicate is a woman who understands the pain of motherhood.”
Adamu-Bello expressed appreciation for the collaboration between security agencies in tackling human trafficking, particularly acknowledging the support of the Department of State Services (DSS).
“I sincerely appreciate the support of the Director-General and operatives of the DSS in assisting the agency’s fight against human trafficking.
“I also thank other sister law enforcement agencies and call for more robust cooperation as we continue to scale up our efforts to protect children from human traffickers in Nigeria,” she added.
NAPTIP assured the public that the arrested suspects would face prosecution.
The agency reiterated its commitment to dismantling trafficking networks and bringing perpetrators to justice.
