Yola — The Adamawa State Government has successfully rescued 14 children who were victims of a human trafficking ring and reunited them with their parents.
The children, between the ages of 4 and 9, were trafficked from various communities in Adamawa State to the Southeastern region of Nigeria.
The state Deputy Governor, Professor Kaletapwa George Farauta, in her speech at the handover ceremony in Yola, said the trafficker, a middle-aged woman of Igbo extraction identified as Ngozi Abdulwahab, perfected the art of trafficking minors from Adamawa State to the Southeastern region, where she sold the victims for paltry sums of ₦800,000 to ₦1.7 million per child.
The deputy governor revealed that the government received an intelligence report about missing children in July 2025 and swung into action with the cooperation of security operatives.
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A combined manhunt was launched, and the trafficker was arrested.
She further stated that the government has commended the security agencies, including the Police, DSS, and NSCDC, for their role in rescuing the children. The Ministry of Women Affairs and the media were also praised for their professional reportage.
She further explained that the rescued children have been rehabilitated and prepared to be reunited with their parents. The government has provided each family with ₦100,000 and food and non-food items to cushion any negative effect of the reunion.
According to her, the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Welfare Departments of respective local government areas will institute routine follow-ups to monitor the children's upkeep and reintegration with their families.
The deputy governor emphasized that child trafficking is a crime that must not go unpunished and that the government will prosecute the perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law. She called on parents to take parenting more seriously and treat children with the deserved responsibility.
She said: "The government has assured the public that it will continue to work tirelessly to prevent child trafficking and protect the rights of children in the state. The general public has been urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the relevant authorities.
"The Adamawa State Government has promised to continue working with security agencies to dismantle human trafficking networks and protect the rights of children in the state. The rescued children are expected to be reunited with their parents today."
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