Police rescue five more children from suspected human trafficker in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command said it has rescued five more children from a suspected human trafficking syndicate operating in Kwara State.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to NAN on Monday.

Hundeyin said that the rescued children had been reunited with their families.

NAN reported that a suspected kingpin of child trafficking and labour syndicate was arrested on January 28 after three months of intelligence gathering by the police command.

Hundeyin had earlier told NAN that the syndicate usually brought underaged children from the northern part of Nigeria to Lagos State, for child labour and other illegal activities against children.

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He said on January 25, a 45-year-old leader of the syndicate, Alimot Haruna of Molete Village, Ilorin, was arrested by detectives from the Ijora Badia Police Division, who had monitored her movements.

“In the process, three underaged children, two females and one male, whose names could not be ascertained – between ages 7 and 12 – of no fixed address, were rescued from her.

“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect had illegally brought 42 children to Lagos State for child labour without the consent of their parents.

“It was also revealed that the suspect had been declared wanted by the Kwara State Police Command in connection with many underaged children that have disappeared, which have been linked to her syndicate,” he said.