The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has intercepted 21 minors suspected to be victims of trafficking at the Geidam border post in Yobe on Thursday.
Yobe State Comptroller of the NIS, Mr. Sani Sule-Jega, disclosed this while handing over the children to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation.
According to Sule-Jega, the minors, aged between seven and 15, were travelling without any documentation and were being transported from Magama Local Government Area of Niger State to the Republic of Niger.
“These minors, aged between seven and 15, were intercepted at the Geidam border outpost.
“Our core mandate is border security and migration management, and this interception is a testament to our commitment.
“They were travelling without any documentation, raising our suspicion, hence we handed them over to NAPTIP for proper investigation,” he said.
The suspected trafficker, identified as Abubakar Sadiq, claimed he was taking the children to Niger Republic for educational purposes at the request of their parents, who wanted affordable schools in Maine, Niger Republic.
The driver, the suspected trafficker, and the rescued children have been handed over to NAPTIP for further investigation.
