NAPTIP, DSS bust child trafficking syndicate, arrest female truck driver, six others

Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), have dismantled an interstate child trafficking syndicate, arresting a female truck driver and six other suspects in Abuja.

The syndicate, which allegedly specialized in stealing and trafficking children across different states, was apprehended while attempting to sell a three-year-old girl stolen from Damaturu, Yobe State.

In a statement on Tuesday, NAPTIP’s Chief Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, identified the prime suspect as 33-year-old Hasana Jacob from Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. Jacob, a truck driver for a popular cement company based in Obajana, Kogi State, was allegedly using her position to transport kidnapped children undetected.

Other arrested suspects include Aisha Suleiman, Murtala Tanimu, Shamsu Tanimu, Adamu Jacob, Abubakar Ahmed, and Ali Muhammed. Preliminary investigations revealed that the group abducted children aged one and above, concealed them in a branded cement truck to evade suspicion, and sold them for as much as N600,000 each.

“The syndicate operates through a network of recruiters and buyers across various states, making it easy to move and dispose of stolen children swiftly,”; Adekoye stated.

He explained that Jacob, due to her role as a truck driver, could abduct children from different locations, evade security checks, and deliver them to her accomplices at designated points. The syndicate reportedly had members responsible for luring victims, coordinating sales, and ensuring a quick turnaround for transactions.

Reacting to the arrest, NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Bello, described the crime as “heinous”; and expressed shock over Jacob’s role as the syndicate’s leader.

“I am deeply saddened by this development. It is painful to see human beings organize such a criminal gang, using a branded vehicle to steal children and sell them to unknown buyers. This act inflicts lifelong pain on affected families while the perpetrators profit from their suffering. It is even more distressing that the mastermind is a woman who should understand the pain of motherhood,”; Bello said.

She commended the DSS for its crucial role in dismantling the syndicate and urged law enforcement agencies and stakeholders to strengthen cooperation in protecting Nigerian children from human trafficking.

Meanwhile, NAPTIP has impounded the 22-tyre cement truck used for the illicit operations as investigations continue.