Joint border operation intercepts 80 trafficked children

By BIOLA AZEEZ, Ilorin

Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) in the North Central zone said that it intercepted a total number of 80 children trafficked by three sets of human traffickers in the last three months in the area.

Speaking with journalists on activities of the team in the last three months, the coordinator of the JBPT in the zone, Comptroller Olugboyega Peters, said that the interception was made possible through intelligence gathering by his men.

He, however, said that the human traffickers evaded arrest as they bolted leaving behind the children on sighting men and officers of the team.

Comptroller Peters also said that the trafficked children had already been handed over to Immigration and National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

The JBPT Coordinator also said that the team arrested five illegal female immigrants and a Nigerian male accomplice with buddles of textile materials allegedly stolen with the use of charms on their victims.

“The JBPT, comprising of ONSA, NIA, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Army and other agencies of the team, while conducting stop and search along Lokoja–Abuja highway, on February 21, 2021, at about 1200 hours, we intercepted one Mazda 626 with registration number ABJ 187 BF, conveying five women from Zuba Abuja to Lokoja in Kogi State.

“On searching the vehicle, 15 bundles and 18 pieces of wrappers were found to be concealed in the bonnet and other components of the vehicle.

“The preliminary investigations revealed that the five women are from different countries (Chad, Ghana, Mali and Niger Republic). They were found to be illegal immigrants without any means of identification. The investigation further revealed that they operate as a syndicate comprising of two groups, specializing in duping and stealing of women wrappers and most times uses charm to perpetrate their crimes. One group operates in Kaduna and the other in Kano axis, prominently on big shops selling women wrapper as their targets.

The two groups came into the country through Katsina and Seme illegal routes. The suspects are: Fatima Mohammadu (38) from Niger Republic, Judith Kofi (29) from Ghana, Fanta Camara (30) from Mali, Fadima Taore ((37) from Chad, Fatimata Camara (39) from Benin Republic.

“The driver of Mazda 626 Mufutau Woye (34) is a Nigerian from Kwara State but reside in Kubwa FCT Abuja as a commercial driver. He was only hired to transport them “to and fro” Kogi State. Fatima Mohammadu (Nigerien) is the leader of the group. She invited and harboured Fadima Taore into the country. A Nigerian, Aisha by name resident in Kano, met Fatima Mohammadu and Judith Kofi in Libya and brought them into Nigeria. Fatimata Camara and Fanta Camara were brought into the country by their Nigerian boyfriends from Benin Republic but were later abandoned in Nigeria. Fatimata Camara, Fatima Mohammadu and Fanta Camara confessed to stealing 15 bundles of the wrappers worth Two Hundred and Fifty-Five Thousand Naira N255, 000 in Kogi State.”

The coordinator said that the suspects would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation.

He also said that the team recorded a total of 128 seizures from the beginning of the year to date.

“These includes:

1,584 Foreign Parboiled Rice,

48 Units of used vehicles,

7 Motorcycles,

1,864 Jerri Cans of 25 litres PMS,

18 Jerri Cans of 25 litres AGO,

21 Bales of secondhand clothing, 86 and 20 pairs of Men and Women used Cloths,

21 Bags 50kg Foreign Sugar,

5 Locally made Dane Gun, Jack Knife, Axe and Cutlass,

7 Drums of PMS,

6 Illegal immigrants,

60,000 Currency in CFA,

948 Cartons of foreign tomato paste.” (Nigerian Tribune)