Five children rescued from traffickers

Five children were rescued from two suspected child traffickers in Auchi, Edo State on Friday.

The children, who travelled unaccompanied, were said to have been on their way from Kaduna to Onitsha, Anambra State when they were nabbed in Auchi.

The Weekend PUNCH reports that the children, all girls, aged between seven and nine had arrived at Auchi in the evening from Kaduna, and were trying to establish contact with the two suspected female traffickers to take them to Onitsha.

In the process, some curious co-passengers became suspicious due to the timid and innocent nature of the children who were deemed too young to travel on their own.

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The source said, “The five girls were underage. They were trying to make contact with some people and the other passengers became suspicious.

“With the help of the driver and his colleagues at Onitsha Park in Auchi, the women were called to come over and pick up the children.

“The two suspected traffickers who were later identified as Vera Okhakhu and Blessing Agbokha, claimed to be indigenes of Fugar, Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State,” the source added.

It was gathered that the two women were questioned before they were handed over to policemen at the Auchi Police Divisional Headquarters for further investigations.

Efforts to reach the Edo State Police spokesman, Chidi Nwanbuzor proved abortive as he did not respond to his calls or reply to text messages sent to him.

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