Kogi NSCDC Arrests Suspected Robbers, Trafficker Of 32 Children

Kogi State command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested two robbery suspects for indulging in unwholesome activities within the state.The command also arrested a suspect for child trafficking, unlawful and compulsory labour.

Speaking after parading the suspects on Thursday at NSCDC command headquarters, Lokoja, the state’s commandant, Ahmad Gandi, said they were arrested for criminal conspiracy, robbery, attempted homicide, receiving stolen property, cheating and refusing to give information.

According to him, sometime in March 2023, one Yakubu Abubakar, 19, and Hameed (ENU) still at large, criminally conspired with the use of dangerous weapons to rob one Musa Zakari of his motorcycle, two phones and large sum of money.

The commandant said the victim was robbed by the suspects at KM-18 Ajaokuta road in Kogi, where he was badly injured on his head with the intention of killing him.

Gandi noted that the victim, who was later revived at the hospital thereafter reported the case at NSCDC office, and the suspects were subsequently tracked to Igbemo in Ekiti State.

The commandant further explained that one Ishaka Suleiman, 19, was later arrested at Ihima in Kogi, who made a confessional statement of how the robbery was perpetrated by Yakubu Abubakar and Hameed (at large).

Gandi said the statement narrated how Ishaka Suleiman was informed about the crime after it was committed but he failed to report to any security agent.

He said Suleiman received the sim card of the victim and used it to defraud the victim under the pretence of being a ritual money maker.

He assured that the two suspects would be charged to court for prosecution after concluding the investigation including the suspect at large.

In the same vein, the commandant paraded one Matthew Joseph, who specialised in trafficking underage children from Kaduna to Kogi State.

Gandi said the command working on credible information, arrested the trafficker who gave useful information that led to the recovery of 32 underage children ranging from 5 to 16 years of age that were trafficked to Kogi.

He added that the children were distributed to 22 foster guardians under the pretense of the children doing house chores and the guardians in turn, trained them in school.

Gandi said that the children and the 22 foster guardians had been investigated and profiled, adding that the children were released back to the foster guardians with the bond to produce them on demand.

The commandant assured that the trafficker would be handed over to the appropriate authority under Kogi State government for prosecution, insisting that the act was illegal.

The Kogi Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajia Fatimah Buba, said the children would be repatriated to Kaduna State through the Ministry of Women Affairs.

Represented by Mrs Hajarat Amin, an Official at the ministry’s Child Department, the commissioner commended the NSCDC for doing a wonderful job in tackling child trafficking in the state.