Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris, has reunited five underage children rescued from suspected human traffickers with their parents.
The children were rescued while allegedly being trafficked from Kebbi South Senatorial District to Edo State.
The governor, represented by his Deputy, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, handed the rescued children over to their parents and warned parents against allowing strangers to take their children to unknown destinations under the guise of offering them better educational opportunities.
The children were released to their families in Birnin-Kebbi according to Malam Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.
Governor Idris stressed that responsible parents have a duty to protect and care for their children, urging them not to entrust their wards to people whose identities and whereabouts are unknown.
He further warned that the state government would take appropriate action against parents who deliberately neglect their parental responsibilities and allow their children to be taken to unknown destinations.
The Deputy Governor subsequently handed the rescued children over to their parents after reprimanding them and urging them to exercise greater vigilance in safeguarding their children.
Speaking earlier, the State Commandant of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Misbau Iya Kaura, disclosed that the children were taken from their parents in Danko-Wasagu and Zuru Local Government Areas of Kebbi State under the pretext of enrolling them in modern schools.
According to him, the children were intercepted in Gusau, Zamfara State, while being transported to Edo State.
He said five suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident, while another suspect remained at large.
Iya Kaura appealed to the Kebbi State Government to provide suitable facilities within the command’s premises to accommodate rescued victims while investigations into the case were ongoing.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the State Government, Yakubu Bala Tafida, assured the command of the government’s commitment to supporting efforts aimed at protecting children and combating human trafficking in the state.
