Ayegba Israel Ebije
26 December 2008
Niger State is fast becoming a Mecca to citizens of neighbouring Niger Republic as they troop into the state in their numbers in search of greener pastures. Yesterday in Minna, 30 children from Niger Republic where arrested by the state police authorities while attempting to enter the town from Zamfara State.
According to the Permanent Secretary, Poverty Alleviation and Value Orientation, Alhaji Hamidu Kuta, those behind the trafficking racket have a camp in Minna where the children are kept. He told Weekly Trust that when security operatives moved into the location where the children are supposed to be camped, the place was not only too small for the incoming number, but was already full of children who neither have good food to eat or a place to sleep.
He said contrary to what they had earlier gathered from one Malam Abubakar who said the children are in the state for Qur'anic education, it was proved wrong when some of the children told Weekly Trust that they came to Niger to get good life.
Only last weekend, a lorry carrying 245 children, all from Niger Republic, was intercepted by the Niger State Police Command. The state government had provided shelter and food for the starving children between the ages of 5 and 12.
The first batch of 245 has since been taken back to their country to be reunited with their families. The recent 30 are still undergoing security screening before onward movement back to Niger Republic.
The police public relations officer, Mr Richard Oguche said there are many more that come to the state unnoticed by agents, adding that the State Police Command has beefed up vigilance to check the worrisome trend.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
