Lagos — Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Cross River State has rescued more than 30 children from traffickers and arrested 20 suspected vandals in the past one year.

State Commandant of the Corps, Mr Abel Bello, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the children were

rescued while being taken for child labour by their captors.

He said one of the suspected traffickers was nabbed, while eight others escaped.

The Commandant said the children, between the ages of nine and 15 years, were subsequently handed over to the state's Ministry of Women Affairs for rehabilitation.

On the arrest, Bello said the hoodlums were caught vandalising Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) installations in Obudu and Bekwara divisions of the command, and were later handed over to the police for prosecution. He added, however, that the command was yet to record any incident of petroleum products pipeline vandalisation.

The commandant, who has just spent one year in office, lauded the administrative style of the Commandant-General of the Corps, Dr Ade Abolurin, which he said brought positive transformation to the corps.