By Atoyebi Nike
The Kogi State Government says security operatives have intercepted a group of underage children trafficked into the state in what appears to be a covert recruitment attempt for banditry training.
Commissioner for Information and Communication Kingsley Fanwo disclosed in a Tuesday statement that NSCDC personnel under the Yagba Area Command stopped the operation following credible intelligence from community hunters.
According to him, officers intercepted a truck at about 3 p.m. on December 5 conveying 21 children aged between six and 17 into Kogi. The adults moving them failed to provide any legitimate explanation for the journey.
Fanwo said investigators discovered that the children came from different northern states and were being transported under suspicious circumstances. Several suspects have been arrested, including those who claimed they were bringing the children to set up an informal Islamic school in Yagba East.
Security agencies conducted further surveillance and picked up more individuals believed to be linked to the movement. Officers also found items that raised serious security concerns. The children have been moved to the NSCDC State Command in Lokoja for proper profiling.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has directed the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to take custody of the victims and offer psychosocial support until investigations conclude. The children will later be handed over to their home states for reintegration.
Fanwo added that all suspects found guilty will face prosecution under Kogi’s child trafficking and child protection laws. He stressed that the state government remains firm in its stance against criminal infiltration and any threats to public safety.
