The Lagos State Police Command says it has rescued five more children from a suspected human trafficking syndicate operating in Kwara State but arrested in Lagos State.
The command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday.
Hundeyin, a Superintendent of Police, said that the rescued children had been reunited with their families.
NAN reports that a suspected kingpin of child trafficking and labour syndicate was arrested on January 28 after three months of intelligence gathering on their activities by the Police Command.
Hundeyin had earlier told NAN that the syndicate usually brought underaged children from the northern part of Nigeria to Lagos State for child labour and other illegal activities against children.
He said on January 25, a 45-year old leader of the syndicate, one Alimot Haruna of Molete Village, Ilorin, Kwara State, was arrested by detectives from Ijora Badia Police Division, who had monitored her movements.
He said: “In the process, three underaged children, two females and one male, whose names could not be ascertained – between ages 7 and 12 – of no fixed address, were rescued from her.
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect had illegally brought 42 children to Lagos State for child labour without the consent of their parents.
“It was also revealed that the suspect had been declared wanted by the Kwara State Police Command in connection with many underaged children that have disappeared, which have been linked to her syndicate.”
Hundeyin further said that when contacted, the Kwara State Police Command confirmed that they recovered the children except 11.
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He said on further interrogation, the suspect mentioned the places she kept the other children.
He said: “Their current custodians were contacted and they admitted having the children.
“While awaiting operatives from Kwara State Police Command Anti-Trafficking Unit to come and harmonise the case, efforts are on to rescue the remaining eight children.”
Five of the eight children have been rescued, while the police are still working to rescue the remaining three.
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