The commissioner of police, Bauchi State Command, Auwal Musa Mohammed, has revealed that one of the rescued Bauchi children trafficked to Kano was sold at the rate of N350,000.
The commissioner who stated this yesterday when he handed the children over to Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, said child trafficking has been on in Bauchi.
He said the illegal business thrived because there were local collaborators who facilitated the illegal dealing by stealing children from their parents’ homes within the Bauchi metropolis.
“We have identified two suspects who facilitated the illegal dealing,” Musa said.
LEADERSHIP reports that seven children of Bauchi extraction were rescued from a trafficking den in Kano. All the children – two girls and five boys – were allegedly given Igbo names.
The commissioner of police commended the prompt response of the Bauchi State government which paved the way for the timely rescue of the children who have reunited with their biological parents.
Musa also declared that the Kano State government gave each of the rescued children N500,000 for upkeep.
Responding, Governor Mohammed expressed his consternation over the occurrence of the incidents in the state and warned parents and caregivers to ensure the security and safety of their children.
He commended the joint efforts of security operatives in Kano and Bauchi which led to the timely identification of the biological parents of the children.
The governor who described the act as disheartening and inhumane said he was shocked after receiving the news about the child trafficking involving natives of Bauchi.
He noted that the illicit business happened at a time his administration had taken a new approach towards child protection by assenting to the 2020 Child Right Act.
