The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Kebbi State Command, has rescued five underage children from suspected traffickers who were allegedly taking them to the Benin Republic under the guise of securing better education for them.

The children were rescued in Edo State from a suspected gang leader identified as Pastor Ayuba while he was allegedly transporting them towards the Benin Republic.

The NAPTIP Commander in Kebbi State, Misbahu Iya Kaura, disclosed this on Monday night while handing the rescued children over to the Kebbi State Government at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi.

Iya Kaura said the suspect told NAPTIP officials that he had the consent of the children’s parents to take them to the Benin Republic to enrol them in schools and provide them with better educational opportunities.

He, however, said such claims were often used by traffickers to convince parents before subjecting children to exploitation.

“This is how they convince people to carry their children under the pretext of enrolling them in schools abroad, but end up abusing them or putting them into slavery,” he said.

The NAPTIP commander said the principal suspect had been arrested and would be charged to court after the completion of investigation.

Receiving the children on behalf of the state government, Governor Nasir Idris warned parents against allowing traffickers to take their children away under the guise of providing them with educational opportunities.

The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Senator Abubakar Umar Tafidan Kabi, urged parents to exercise caution and properly verify the intentions of anyone offering to take their children outside the country for education.

He warned that any parent found to have knowingly facilitated the activities of traffickers would face the full weight of the law.

The deputy governor subsequently reunited the rescued children with their parents.

One of the parents, Emmanuel Aduba, expressed appreciation to the Kebbi State Government and NAPTIP officials for rescuing the children. (LEADERSHIP)