Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State has reunited 14 abducted children with their families after security operatives rescued them from traffickers in Anambra State.
At the official handover ceremony held Wednesday at Government House, Yola, Fintiri, represented by his deputy, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, narrated how a coordinated operation involving the police, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) led to the recovery of the children and the arrest of the suspected kingpin.
The suspect, identified as Ngozi Abdulwahab, a middle-aged woman of Igbo origin, allegedly ran her trafficking scheme from a provision shop at Jambutu ward in Yola North LGA. She reportedly lured unsuspecting children aged between four and nine with snacks and gifts before moving them to the South-East for sale.
“This notorious trafficker perfected the art of trafficking minors aged four to 9 years from various communities in Adamawa State to the South-East, where she sold the victims for paltry sums ranging from N800,000 to N1.7m per child,” Farauta said on behalf of the governor.
Describing the crime as “monstrous and traumatic,” Farauta vowed that the perpetrators would face the full wrath of the law.
“We have ordered the immediate prosecution of the suspects under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, the Adamawa State Child Protection Law (2008), the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2021, and the Penal Code of Adamawa State,” she declared.
Governor Fintiri, through his deputy, condemned the act as a grave national scourge:
“I welcome you to a mixed feeling of sadness and joy. It is sad that Adamawa State has now appeared on the map of an unfortunate monster which has been ravaging the nation—the monster of child trafficking. This is an infamous story we used to hear from far away. Unfortunately, it has caught up with us,” he said.
He also issued a stern warning to traffickers and their collaborators:
“The message of His Excellency Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to human traffickers and their accomplices is clear: Adamawa State is the wrong place to come to. We shall flush them out, dismantle their networks, and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. Our citizens are our most cherished assets and must never be turned into commodities of trade.”
To support the affected families, the state government presented each with N100,000 cash assistance, alongside food and non-food items, to cushion their ordeal and help them rebuild their lives.
Farauta, in her address, appealed to parents to be more vigilant and responsible in protecting their children.
“To parents across the state, I call on you to take parenting more seriously. Children are sacred blessings from God, and we must treat them with the responsibility they deserve,” she urged.
She further encouraged residents to promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies, stressing that public vigilance remains critical in curbing the menace of trafficking.
