Police Rescue Five Children From Suspected Trafficking Syndicate In Lagos

Operatives of the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos State, have rescued five children from the clutches of a suspected child trafficking syndicate, dismantling a network notorious for stealing, buying, and selling minors.

The breakthrough, confirmed by the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police in charge of Zone 2, Mr. Adegoke Fayoade, marks a significant victory in the fight against child trafficking in Nigeria.

The rescued children, aged between one and six years, include four boys and a girl. Their identities had been deliberately altered by the traffickers as part of their modus operandi to evade detection. According to Fayoade, the operation was launched on January 8 following an intelligence report that exposed the syndicate’s activities.

“The intelligence revealed that the syndicate specializes in buying and selling newborns, toddlers, and children of various ages,” Fayoade explained. “The network is led by three key players: one who supplies the children, another who acts as a middleman and caregiver, and a third who cares for the children before they are handed over to buyers.”

The police team, led by CSP Ngozi Braide, successfully intercepted the traffickers and recovered the children. Investigations revealed shocking details about the syndicate’s operations. A one-year-old boy, sold just one week after his birth, was resold to a couple residing in Italy but remained in the custody of the syndicate’s caregiver. Another three-year-old boy was sold in 2021 for N500,000, while a one-year-old boy was sold by his biological mother in September 2024 for N1.5 million to an individual in Alausa, Ikeja.

The one-year-old boy was later recovered on January 28 in Owerri, where he was found in the care of a nanny who claimed she had been employed by her younger sister, a resident of California, USA. The nanny, who was arrested, also had custody of a three-year-old girl, whom she alleged was brought to her as a newborn by the same sister.

The sixth child, a six-year-old boy, was reportedly bought by the prime suspect for N800,000 in Mbaise, Imo State, when he was just one week old. Fayoade noted that the syndicate operated with a strong network and rarely missed its targets, but their luck ran out during this operation.

“The traffickers’ method involves changing the identities of the children immediately after purchase to avoid detection,” Fayoade stated. “This makes it difficult for authorities to trace the children and reunite them with their families.”

The AIG commended the efforts of the police team and reiterated the commitment of the Zone 2 Command to combating child trafficking and other forms of criminality. He also called on the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the authorities.

This rescue operation highlights the pervasive issue of child trafficking in Nigeria and the need for sustained efforts to dismantle such networks. While the five children have been saved from a grim fate, the case underscores the importance of strengthening legal frameworks, improving intelligence gathering, and fostering collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the public to protect vulnerable children from exploitation.

As investigations continue, the police are working to reunite the rescued children with their families while pursuing other members of the syndicate still at large. The operation serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against human trafficking and the collective responsibility to safeguard the future of Nigeria’s children.