by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Kaduna State Commissioner for Ministry of Human Services and Social Development, Hajiya Rabi Salisu, has revealed that, thirteen children allegedly sold to child traffickers have been rescued by the State Government.
This scenario, apparently, has been adjudged to be owing to decades of severity of hardship being experienced in the country.
Speaking in a news conference in Kaduna over the weekend, Haj Salisu disclosed that the stolen children were first of all taken to Abuja and, from there to Enugu, by a syndicate group, some of whom are yet to be arrested.
“One of the abducted children was stolen when he was seven days’ old, and he’s now seven years’ old and cannot identify their locations. But the authorities will do everything humanly possible to ensure that he’s reunited with his family members,” she said.
She lamented that, “All of them have their names changed, from Hausa to other names. Those brought to Kaduna are under the special intervention and emergency support of the government under the ministry’s facility to provide psychosocial counselling and support, nutritional food, medical care, and rehabilitation.
“Upon review of the situation in one of the scenarios after the arrest made, on 24th March, 2025, the ministry received 11 children from the office of the State Commissioner of Police from Abuja.
The Commissioner said five members of the abductor’s gang showed that a woman, who is the gang leader, operates an orphanage in Abuja; under this guise they conduct their nefarious activities.
“She uses her ‘orphanage’ as temporary shelter for the stolen children and negotiates for their sale to prospective buyers in the eastern part of the country.
“This evil act is so alarming that all the children found and brought back have lost their identity so much that they can’t remember their original homes.
“Seven of the children were received on 9th April, 2025, from the State CP’s office, the remaining children from Abuja and six others brought back from Birnin-Kebbi, who were abducted and sold to a woman nicknamed “Maman Salamatu,” in Calabar (real name concealed), as the case is still under investigation in Kebbi.
“The children are in our custody and also under our special care and emergency intervention. To this effect, we are calling on parents, who lost their children and are searching for them, to come forward with concrete evidence, proof of birth, and other relevant information, to be reunited with their children/wards, immediately after this press conference.
“At this juncture, I want to reiterate that, Child Trafficking is on the rise, and advice parents to be very vigilant, imbibe the culture of good parenting, and nurture their children with good moral upbringing to protect them against all forms of abuse, violence and exploitation,” Hajiya Salisu noted.