The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has intercepted 21 minors suspected to be victims of human trafficking at Geidam town, near the Nigeria-Niger Republic border in Yobe State.
Handing over the suspected victims to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Yobe State Comptroller of Immigration, Sani Sule-Jega, stated that the children, aged between seven and fifteen years, were being transported from Magama Local Government Area in Niger State to Niger Republic without any valid travel documents.
“These are minors aged between seven and fifteen who were intercepted at the Geidam Border Out-Post in Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State. The purpose of this outpost is to check illegal migration, as our core mandate is border security and migration management,” Sule-Jega explained.
He added, “They were travelling without the necessary documents, which raised suspicions. We have handed them over to NAPTIP for further investigation.”
Guardian’s Defence
The prime suspect, Abubakar Sadiq, who identified himself as the children’s guardian, insisted they were being taken to Niger Republic for education.
“Their parents asked me to find an affordable school, which is why I am taking them to a school in Maine, Niger Republic,” he told Channels Television.
Both Sadiq, the driver, and the minors have now been handed over to NAPTIP for further questioning.
