By Mohammed Sanusi.
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has successfully reunited three children, who were abducted from Bauchi metropolis and taken to Anambra State for sale, with their families.
The incident involved a woman allegedly trafficking her neighbors’ children from the Gwalameji area of Bauchi last December. The suspect reportedly rented accommodation in the area before the children went missing, leaving no trace of her belongings behind.
In response, both the Bauchi and Anambra State Police Commands launched an investigation, eventually declaring several suspects wanted. Preliminary findings suggested that one of the children was being sold for a meager N2 million.
Bauchi Commissioner of Police, Auwal Musa, announced that his team had successfully rescued the children and apprehended several individuals involved in the trafficking, although the primary suspect remains at large. The children were handed over to the government for reunification with their families.
Governor Mohammed expressed concern over the rising incidence of child abductions for sale, recalling a similar case two years prior involving children taken to southern Nigeria. He urged swift prosecution of the suspects and called on the Attorney General and the Chief Judge to expedite justice to deter future crimes.
Mohammed attributed the incident to poverty, parental neglect, and criminal infiltration from outside the state. He praised the police for their efforts in rescuing the children alive.
One of the arrested suspects, a woman, confessed to buying one of the children for N2 million through another suspect who claimed government affiliation in Anambra. She explained that her inability to have children led her husband to seek another wife, prompting her to engage in the illegal transaction.
