The Nigerian Army has rescued 14 children between ages three and 13 from traffickers.
Their traffickers, including two females, Evelyn Jerry, 27 and Stephen Rebecca 30 as well as Mr. Richard Patrick, 38, were arrested and handed to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
Nneka Aniagoh said this in a statement on behalf of the Press and Public Relations Unit NAPTIP.
She stated that the victims comprising nine females and five males, were crammed into an eight-seater seat Alhambra Sedan with Plateau state registration number: JJN 964XB.
“They were taken from Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau state on their way to Ekpoma, Edo State,” she added.
According to her: “The suspects, who are from the same town with the victims, confessed that they were taking the children to Ekpoma where they would be distributed to various households, for labour purposes.
“They claimed the parents of the 14 children gave them consent to take the children and send them to various households for domestic labour. “
Also reacting to the news of the arrest, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, said: “This is what the National referral mechanism, being put in place by NAPTIP and relevant organisations, aims to achieve.
“There needs to be a synergy in our collaboration towards the elimination of human trafficking from Nigeria”.
She warned the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015 prohibits the employment of children below the age of twelve as domestic workers, and warned that those found culpable will be severely dealt with.
The NAPTIP DG also added that such acts fuel the incidences of child exploitative labour, warning the agency will not tolerate such abuse on our children, and the suspects will definitely be charged to court upon the completion of preliminary investigations.
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