The Adamawa State Government has reunited 14 children rescued from a child trafficking syndicate with their parents in Yola.
Deputy Governor Kaletapwa Farauta, speaking at the ceremony in Yola on Wednesday, described the development as “a mixed feeling of sadness and joy.”
She warned that the state had been “placed on the map of an unfortunate monster ravaging the nation — child trafficking.”
“These children were converted into commodities of trade. Some were sold between ₦800,000 and ₦1.7 million each. This monstrous crime isn’t only traumatic to the victims and their parents but a sad and strange reality to our state,” Farauta said.
She revealed that security operatives arrested the alleged kingpin, Ngozi Abdulwahab, who operated a small provision shop in Jambutu Ward, Yola-North. She reportedly lured unsuspecting children with snacks before trafficking them to the Southeast for resale.
“I thought my daughter was dead. For two months, I didn’t sleep,” said Husseini Shehu, father of nine-year-old Fatima, who was abducted while playing outside their home in Mubi-North.
“When I saw her today, I cried like a child myself. No parent should ever go through this pain.”
Aisha Isa, mother of five-year-old Muhammad Buba, could barely speak as she clutched her son.
“They stole my only child. I begged God every day to return him. Today, I know God is alive,” she whispered.
Others expressed disbelief that neighbours had lived alongside the alleged trafficker without suspicion.
“She pretended to be a harmless trader. Who knew she was selling our children like goats in the market?” said Mohammed Abubakar, father of Umar Farouk, nicknamed “Lagos Boy.”
Farauta confirmed that the suspects would face prosecution under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, the Adamawa State Child Protection Law, 2008, and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2021.
“The message of His Excellency, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, is clear: Adamawa is the wrong place to come to. We shall flush them out, dismantle their networks, and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. This isn’t an empty charge. It is a promise,” she declared.
The government provided each family with ₦100,000 and food items to support the reunion, while the Ministry of Women Affairs and local government welfare units will monitor the children’s reintegration.
