The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has intercepted 21 minors, suspected to be victims of trafficking on Thursday at the Geidam border post in Yobe.
The Yobe State Comptroller of the NIS, Mr. Sani Sule-Jega disclosed this while handing over the children to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation.
Sule-Jega said the minors, aged between seven and 15, were without travel documents and were being transported from Magama Local Government Area of Niger State to the Republic of Niger.
“These minors, aged between seven and 15, were intercepted at the Geidam border out-post.
“Our core mandate is border security and migration management, and this interception is a testament to our commitment.
“They were travelling without any documentation, raising our suspicion, hence we handed them over to NAPTIP for proper investigation,” he said.
The suspected trafficker, identified as Abubakar Sadiq, claimed the children were being taken to Niger Republic for educational purposes.
He said their parents requested him to find affordable schools for them in Maine, Niger Republic.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the driver, the suspected trafficker, and the rescued children have been handed over to NAPTIP for further investigation.