Police Hand Over 9 Suspected Child Traffickers to NAPTIP in Akwa Ibom
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has dismantled a syndicate involved in the illegal buying and selling of children, handing over nine suspects to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
The state’s Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Azare, revealed the development while welcoming the new Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Mr. Ubong Ekwere, to his office in Uyo, the state capital.
CP Azare explained that the nine female suspects were apprehended during raids conducted across various locations in the state, following credible intelligence about their illicit activities.
He emphasized the importance of collaborating with NAPTIP to combat child trafficking in the state and vowed that the Police Command would intensify surveillance efforts, working closely with other security agencies, including NAPTIP.
The Commissioner condemned the heinous crime of trading children for money and assured that his team would continue to prioritize efforts to eliminate such activities.
In response, Ekwere urged greater collaboration among various stakeholders, including the state government, to address the issue of human trafficking across all 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom.
After receiving the suspects, Ekwere expressed his appreciation for the existing cooperation between NAPTIP and the Police, noting that the recent courtesy visit to CP Azare had already begun yielding positive results. He revealed that the Commissioner had directed that all human trafficking cases in the state would now be transferred to NAPTIP for further investigation.
“I visited the Commissioner of Police today and thanked the Police for their crucial role in countering human trafficking in the state and across Nigeria,” Ekwere said. “The Commissioner has committed to ensuring that human trafficking cases are now referred to NAPTIP, and he has pledged to support our agency in intelligence sharing, joint operations, and arrests—this is a welcome development.”
Ekwere stressed that the suspects were engaged in a crime that not only violated the law but also endangered the future of children, especially those from Akwa Ibom, who are particularly vulnerable to trafficking.
He called on the Akwa Ibom State government to join forces with NAPTIP in its ongoing fight against human trafficking, assuring the public that the suspects would soon undergo a thorough investigation before being charged in court.
