09
Jan
Jan
POLICE INTERCEPT 59 TRAFFICKED CHILDREN IN FCT
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Nicolas Adekeye / 2 weeks
- 0
- 2 min read
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has intercepted a 15-seater Peugeot bus transporting 59 children suspected to be trafficked. The children, aged between 4 and 12, were allegedly being taken to Nasarawa State under suspicious circumstances. A team of detectives led by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sarki Umar, stopped the vehicle with registration number KMC 283 ZJ along the Abuja-Kano route on Monday, January 6, 2025. The driver, Ali Ibrahim, and his assistant, Alhassan Ibrahim, both residents of Kano State, were apprehended on the spot. According to FCT Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu, preliminary investigations revealed that the children were being transported under the pretense of receiving training. “The situation raised red flags, as there was no proper documentation or parental consent for the movement of these minors,” Disu stated during a press briefing in Abuja. Disu emphasized that the police are committed to protecting vulnerable groups, especially children, from exploitation and abuse, in accordance with the Child’s Rights Act 2003. He also urged parents and guardians to stay alert and ensure the safety of their children. The children were reportedly being moved to Nasarawa State by a man identified as Idris Usman, a Nasarawa resident, who had travelled to Kano to gather the children. The operation is part of the police’s ongoing efforts to combat child trafficking and abuse.
