December 30, (THEWILL) No fewer than seven abducted children from Bauchi State, were reunited with their parents by Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State on Friday.
The Police in Kano had earlier smashed an inter-state child abduction and trafficking syndicate and arrested nine suspects after months of tracking across seven states.
This was the result of an investigation initiated by the Police Command in Kano State following reports of missing children.
The Commissioner of Police, Usaini Gumel, told newsmen in Kano that the syndicate had been operating for over 10 years, and had allegedly specialised in inter-state trafficking, abduction, buying and selling of children.
Gumel said diligent investigation helped to dismantle the syndicate which had members in Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, Lagos, Delta, Anambra and Imo states
Governor Yusuf commended the efforts of the Kano State Police Command at smashing the syndicate.
He, however, expressed dismay at the discovery of seven children abducted from Bauchi and then trafficked and sold in Anambra and Lagos states.
He urged parents
to remain vigilant and attentive to the well-being of their children as a fundamental responsibility.
The Governor also called on his Bauchi State counterpart to take decisive legal action against the arrested suspects.
In his response, Malam Saad from Bauchi, a parent of one of the stolen children, Abdulmutallif Saad, expressed his gratitude to Governor Yusuf and the Commissioner of Police, Kano State.
Nine suspects, apprehended by the Kano State Police Command, were brought alongside the children they had stolen from Bauchi and intercepted at Mariri motor park in Kano while en route to Lagos state.
Speaking on behalf of the Bauchi state government, Barrister Sha’awanatu Yusuf, the Director of Public Prosecution at the state Ministry of Justice, emphasized the unity of Kano and Bauchi for greater good of the two states.
Barrister Yusuf stated that the Bauchi State government would take the necessary legal steps to ensure that the suspects were brought to justice and face the full consequences of the law.
Governor Yusuf then announced a donation of N500,000 to each of the seven recovered children at the occasion.
About the Author
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
