By: Adelowo Oladipo Minna
The Niger State Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has announced the rescuing of six victims of child trafficking, including infant twin babies, in what the agency described as a major breakthrough in the fight against human trafficking in the state.
The State Commander, Mr. Emmanuel Awhen, made the disclosure on Monday while reuniting some of the rescued victims with their families/parents at the agency’s office at the Old Secretariat in Minna.
He explained that the case began after the mother of the twin babies reported that a female staff member of the Social Welfare Department in Bida had taken the babies a day after their birth under the pretext that the government intended to assist in raising them.
According to him, investigations revealed that the babies had been sold through a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre Bida to two individuals in Lagos and Anambra states.
The agency subsequently recovered the twin babies and reunited them with their biological mother on December 18, 2025, in the presence of the Niger State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hadiza Idris Kuta.
Mr. Awhen further disclosed that ongoing investigations uncovered another related case involving the same suspects, who allegedly deceived a beggar in Bida by posing as government officials willing to support the upbringing and education of her children.
In this instance, four children were taken, two of whom were kept by the suspects as domestic helpers, while the other two were sold through the same nurse and her associate to individuals in Abia and Anambra states.
He added that the two children kept by the suspects were later returned to their parents during the course of the investigation.
The NAPTIP Commander stated that seven suspects, including a staff member of the Bida Local Government Council’s Social Welfare Department, have been arrested in connection with the cases.
Mr. Awhen expressed appreciation to the Niger State Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, for its support and collaboration.
He specifically commended the Commissioner, Hajiya Hadiza Idris Kuta, and the Permanent Secretary for their commitment to addressing human trafficking and safeguarding vulnerable children in the state.
He also acknowledged the contributions of other security agencies, especially the anti-human trafficking unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, for their cooperation and synergy in the rescue and investigation efforts.
In her remarks during the handover of the children, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Hadiza Idris Kuta, commended NAPTIP for its swift response in rescuing the victims and reuniting them with their families.
She described the development as disturbing and heartbreaking, noting that the affected parents were vulnerable and had been deceived into releasing their children under false assurances of care and support, and also warned that such incidents reflect a growing trend in which traffickers exploit poor and displaced families with deceptive promises.
While expressing satisfaction with the agency’s performance, the Commissioner reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting NAPTIP in strengthening the fight against human trafficking.
She called for intensified community sensitisation and improved surveillance, particularly in Bida and its environs, to ensure perpetrators are identified, arrested, and prosecuted.
She further explained that the affected family had relocated from Zamfara State to Niger State due to insecurity, which made them more susceptible to exploitation, and stressed the need for stronger collaboration among government agencies, local authorities, and community leaders to support vulnerable families and prevent them from falling victim to trafficking networks.
Mallam Mu’azu Halilu, the father of the children, expressed gratitude to NAPTIP and the state government for rescuing his children, who had been taken from them about a year ago.
He pledged to take proper care of the children and vowed never to allow such an incident to occur again.
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