The Kano State Police Command says it has rescued seven teenagers who were kidnapped from Bauchi and Kano, then sold in Lagos and Enugu States for amounts ranging between N400, 000 and N500, 000 by their alleged kidnappers.
The Command also revealed that one of the rescued teenagers, a girl, was allegedly kidnapped with the assistance of a medical doctor at a hospital when she was under one year old. She had since grown to seven years and was sold for N500, 000 in Lagos.
Speaking yesterday, while parading the 11 suspects arrested in connection with the alleged human trafficking, the State Commissioner of Police, Hussani Muhammed Gumel, stated that the kidnapped children, mostly of the Hausa ethnic group, had been so cultured that they could no longer speak their parent’s language, Hausa, but were fluent in Igbo.
According to him, “Intelligence-led surveillance duties at Mariri Luxurious Park Kano intercepted one Comfort Amos, aged 45 years, female, of Tudun-Wada Quarters, while transiting to Lagos with a child: one AbdulMuttalib Sa’ad, aged 5 years, male, of Zango Quarters in Bauchi State.
“During the preliminary investigation, four other suspects—Chika Ezugbu, aged 52 years, female of Sabon-Gari Quarters; Joy Nzelu, aged 43 years, female, of Sabon-Gari Quarters; Clement Ali, aged 35 years, of Badawa Quarters, Kano; and Emeka Ekeidigwe, aged 55 years, male, of Weatherhead Sabon-Gari Quarters, Kano – were separately arrested for being part of the syndicate committing the crimes.
“Further investigation revealed that the suspects are in the same cycle of abducting, buying, and selling minors from Bauchi and Kano States, trafficking, and selling them to people within their racket in different locations in Lagos and Anambra States”.
The Commissioner disclosed that Mahmud Bilyaminu, aged 3 years, male, abducted from Bauchi, renamed Chioma, was sold for N450, 000 and rescued at Niger Road, Sabon-Gari, Kano.
“Also, Usman Adamu, aged 8 years, male, abducted from Bauchi, sold for #450,000:00, and renamed Chibuke, was also rescued at Yoruba Road, Sabon-Gari, Kano. Hafizu Hassan, aged 8 years, male, abducted from Bauchi, sold for N480, 000, and renamed Uche Chukwu, was rescued at Niger Road, Sabon-Gari, he stated.
The Commissioner, however, said, “We are still searching for her parents. Mohammed Iliya, (aged 5 years, male), abducted from Bauchi three years back, sold for $500,000, and renamed ‘Chidiebere’, was rescued at Nnewi, Anambra State.
According to him, some of these children are cultured and assimilated, as they can no longer speak their parents’ language.
