By Charles Maduka
In a joint operation, the Taraba State Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have rescued eight trafficked children from Minda Village in Lau Local Government Area.
Addressing journalists in Jalingo on Friday, Commissioner Mary Sinjen disclosed that the victims were deceitfully taken to Aba, Onitsha, and parts of Imo State under the false pretense of being orphans.
“These innocent children were taken from their homes by traffickers who claimed they were orphans, but our investigations confirmed they were not,” she stated.
The operation, carried out with intelligence support, intercepted the traffickers in Gembu, Sardauna Local Government Area. The children have since been reunited with their families.
Sinjen noted that one of the suspects, a woman identified as Mrs. Patience, was apprehended along with others and is now in custody awaiting trial.
“Some of the victims said they were sold without their families’ consent or knowledge,” the commissioner said. “We will not relent until every child is rescued and every offender is prosecuted.”
Governor Agbu Kefas condemned the trafficking, stressing his administration’s zero tolerance for child abuse and human trafficking.
“Every child in Taraba counts. We are fully committed to protecting them,” he said in a statement.
The ministry and security agencies have urged community members to remain alert and report suspicious activity, emphasizing that protecting children is a shared duty.
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