The senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe, has called for urgent action to end trafficking of children and the rescuing of those missing.
She made the call at the weekend while reacting trend of kidnapping of children in the FCT particularly in Kuje, Gwagwalada and Kwali area councils.
A statement from her office said on February 18, she received a letter of complaint bordering on the stealing, abduction and trafficking of children from the Missing Children Parents Association, a non-governmental body based in the Gwagwalada Area Council of Abuja.
She noted that in the letter, the association complained that the kidnapping of children started sometime in 2018 and had continued unabated despite efforts made to curb it.
Senator Kingibe noted that according to the letter one Madam Nwankwo was arrested on January 4 this year with two missing children by the police and a team of vigilantes along the Gwagwalada -Zubairu Expressway. The association further stated in the letter that investigation by the police discovered that these abductions were carried out by a syndicate leading to the arrest of three persons, with others still at large.
Moving the motion for the senate to take action on the matter, Senator Kingibe said:
“Worried that since the arrest of the perpetrators, only four children have been recovered out of the 40 alleged to be missing; concerned that this organised crime has become a great threat to the peace and we’ll being of the three area council and their environs and as such it is imperative that urgent steps are taken to address this matter.
“Accordingly, the Senate resolves to urge the Nigerian Police, the Department of State Services and other relevant security agencies to be thoroughly involved in the matter with a view to bringing all the perpetrators to book, put modalities in place for the recovery of the missing children and to ensure that justice is not only seen to be done but must be done speedily to serve as deterrent as well as assuage the feelings of the victims.
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