Kano State Authorities Secure Return of 59 Children from Suspected Trafficking

Babatunji Wusu –

• Fifty-nine children, suspected victims of trafficking, have been returned to Kano State following the intervention of Senator Kawu Sumaila.
• The children, aged between four and twelve, were intercepted by the FCT Police on January 6 while traveling from Abuja to Kano.
• The case was initially suspected to involve child trafficking due to a lack of proper documentation and parental consent.
• The children were handed over to the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, Children, and Disabled at an official ceremony.
• The local government chairman, Faruk Sumaila, condemned the practice of sending children far for education and emphasized the importance of family care.

Fifty-nine children, who were intercepted by the police on suspicion of being trafficked, have safely returned to Kano State thanks to the efforts of Senator Kawu Sumaila. The children, all from Sumaila Local Government Area, were received by the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, Children, and Disabled in an official handover ceremony. Muttaka Iliyasu Yakasai, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, accepted the children on behalf of Commissioner Hajiya Amina Abdullahi.

The children, aged between four and twelve, were traveling in a 15-seater bus along the Abuja-Kano route when they were intercepted by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police on January 6. The police had suspected the case involved child trafficking due to the absence of parental consent and proper documentation.

At the handover, Faruk Sumaila, Chairman of Sumaila Local Government, praised Senator Sumaila for facilitating the children’s return. He explained that the children were being sent to Abuja in search of Islamic education, but emphasized the inherent risks of such journeys. He reiterated that the local administration would no longer allow the practice of sending young children far from home for education and underscored the importance of prioritizing their safety within family care.

The Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs pledged to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the children’s well-being and prevent similar occurrences in the future.