By EMMANUEL BEM

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says the agency has rescued 96 trafficked children from Benue and reunited 84 of them with their families.

Mrs Hembadoom Kuma, newly deployed Zonal Commander, Makurdi Zonal Command of NAPTIP, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Makurdi while interacting with newsmen.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that NAPTIP had said over 300 children were trafficked out of the state in 2025.

Kuma said that upon assumption of office, she was confronted with an ongoing challenge of child trafficking in Benue, particularly the trafficking of more than 300 children from Guma LGA of the state in 2025.

According to her, the Makurdi Zonal Command before her arrival swung into action after receiving intelligence on the incident and rescued 87 children.

She disclosed that 84 of the rescued children had been reunited with their parents after being recovered from Abia, Imo, Rivers and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The zonal commander added that 9 children were recently rescued and brought to the command, while efforts were ongoing to trace and rescue the remaining victims.

“We have rescued 96 children and reunited 84 of them with their parents.

“We are assuring parents that we will continue to work until the remaining children are rescued and handed over to their families,” she said.

Kuma warned traffickers and other perpetrators to desist from the criminal act, stressing that human trafficking must be eradicated in Benue and across the country.

She noted that the fight against human trafficking required collective action, adding that NAPTIP could not tackle the menace alone.

According to her, the agency will strengthen collaboration with the media, traditional rulers, religious leaders, schools, hotel operators, transport unions and other stakeholders to curb the crime.

“Human trafficking is a fight that must be carried out by everybody. NAPTIP cannot do it alone.

“We intend to engage all critical stakeholders to ensure that vulnerable children and persons are protected from traffickers,” she said.

Speaking on her plans for the zone, Kuma said she would build on the achievements of her predecessor by strengthening existing partnerships and expanding stakeholder engagement.

She observed that although human trafficking was a nationwide challenge, Benue remained one of the states heavily affected by the crime, making collaboration essential to addressing the problem.

The commander urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements and activities to security agencies.

She also called on parents and guardians to pay closer attention to their children and wards, while reiterating the agency’s commitment to combating human trafficking in the state.

“Always say no to human trafficking,” she advised. (NAN)

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