The Kebbi State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service, has intercepted and rescued twenty one children from a cleric while moving them from Nigeria to Senegal and Mauritania.
The State Comptroller, Rabi Bashir Nuhu, while breifing newsmen during handing over to NAPTIP, the twenty one children and the cleric Hussaini Salmanu Idris from Bida in Niger state, said they were arrested at Kangiwa border patrol team of the immigration personnel.
She said nineteen males and two females that were mostly minors were under the ages of ten and below twenty years.
According to her, on interrogation, the children revealed that, they are going to Senegal for Maulud celebration and to proceed to Mauritania with intension to seek for Islamic knowledge.
Comptroller Rabi Nuhu, said the Ecowas passport issued to them was also fake, adding that, “what the cleric was telling us was full of lies and we suspect that he is trafficking the children to Mauritania”.
Comptroller Nuhu, therefore cautioned parents on the need to be aware of the traveling activities of their children for them not to be involve in human trafficking.
She warned that, the service would not allow any form of human trafficking as the Command is up and down to tackle the menace in the state.
Responding, official of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons NAPTIP Kebbi office, Sadiq Atiku Abubakar, assured that the agency would investigate and brought to justice the pepetrators and the children to be unite with their families.
The cleric, Hussaini Salmanu Idris, told Radio Nigeria that, he admit taking the children to Senegal for Maulud celebration and proceed to Mauritania.
Abdullahi Tukur