Plateau Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicate, Arrest Kingpin in Plateau

The Plateau State Police Command has successfully dismantled a child trafficking syndicate following credible intelligence that led to the arrest of key members, including a woman and the suspected kingpin.

The operation, conducted by the Joint Taskforce, led to the arrest of Nanman Pungtel at the Old Airport junction in Jos, the state capital. Pungtel was found with three children in her custody, whose origins she could not explain. Upon further investigation, police arrested Pastor Dayo Bernard, the leader of the syndicate, who operates under the guise of the End Time Army Ministry in Bukuru, later that same night.

The operation resulted in the rescue of five children, aged between two and four, who had been abducted from various homes in the Kwande district of Qua’anpan Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State. Other members of the trafficking ring, including Rita Agboeze, Victoria Ugwu, and Peter Ukwuani, were also arrested during the operation.

The suspects were transported from Jos to Abuja, where they were paraded by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi. During questioning, Pastor Bernard confessed to abducting and selling 13 children from Plateau, with prices ranging from ₦350,000 to ₦750,000. Fortunately, all of the kidnapped children have been recovered and reunited with their families.

In response to the troubling development, Plateau State’s Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Panglang Dafur, has pointed to the involvement of some religious leaders and institutions in the trafficking activities.

Rev. Dr. Amos Mohzo, President of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), also weighed in on the issue, urging pastors to use their pulpits to raise awareness about the rising cases of child trafficking, particularly in Plateau State. He stressed that such criminal activity should not be tolerated among Christians in the region.

“This is not the Plateau State we know; we are Christians and should not be found engaging in such activities,” Dr. Mohzo said, condemning the practice.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, in a recent statewide address to mark the New Year, condemned child trafficking in the state and issued a stern warning to those involved. He expressed his administration’s commitment to taking decisive action against traffickers and urged parents to take responsibility for protecting their children from the criminal activity.

Mutfwang called on the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to prevent the further spread of child trafficking in the state.