Twenty-One children have been taken into custody by the Kogi State government following the interception of the vehicle that brought them into the Confluence state.
Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, disclosed the interception in a statement issued in Lokoja on Monday.
In a security operation of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Yagba Area Command in collaboration with other security agencies in Isanlu, acting on credible intelligence from community hunters, the children were being brought to the state from various parts of the North before security operatives seized their vehicles last Friday.
The commissioner noted that initial investigation revealed that those transporting the children claimed they were being brought to the state to establish an Islamic school, the claim that he said, they could not substantiate.
Fanwo said the 21 children whose ages range from six to 17 were already in the custody of the state government while investigation continues.
The statement reads: “The Kogi State Government wishes to inform the public of the successful interception of a group of underaged children trafficked into the State, in what is suspected to be a covert recruitment attempt for banditry training.
The rescued children have been transferred to the State Command of the NSCDC in Lokoja for debriefing and proper profiling of all persons involved while further investigation are still ongoing.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has directed the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to take full custody of the victims, ensure their welfare, and provide psychosocial care until the investigation is completed. He further ordered that, after proper verification, the children be returned to their respective state governments for reintegration with their families.
All individuals found culpable in the trafficking operation will be prosecuted in line with Kogi State’s Child Trafficking and Child Rights Protection Laws.
The Kogi State Government reaffirmed it’s commitment against child trafficking, criminal infiltration, and any form of security threat. The administration will continue to work closely with security agencies and local communities ensuring safety in the State.
