Naptip Discovers New Form Of Human Trafficking In Abuja

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has uncovered a new form of human trafficking in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where children are being used to beg for alms. This was disclosed by the Director-General of NAPTIP, Prof Fatima Waziri-Azi, while speaking on the agency's efforts to tackle emerging trends of human trafficking.

In a statement issued by Mr Vincent Adekoye, a Press Officer in the agency, Waziri-Azi said that NAPTIP had discovered unwholesome activities of some human trafficking gangs who specialized in trafficking children and hiring them out for exploitative purposes, including begging for alms.

During a routine undercover operation by operatives of the Rapid Response Unit of the agency around Abuja – Nyanya corridors, the operatives intercepted the syndicates and rescued three children that were allegedly rented out by their mothers to the traffickers to beg for alms at one of the busy spots in the Nyanya area for N3,000 a day per child.

The director-general revealed that the suspected trafficking syndicates specialized in collecting babies with the connivance of other members of the gang. They hire out these innocent children and position them at the roadsides at busy intersections and bus stops, where they use them for alms begging.

The traffickers would then detail another older child to watch over the children as they move them from one point to another and also to ensure that the proceeds of the begging are collected at intervals. These infants are exposed to harsh weather conditions on a daily basis in a dusty and dirty environment even in the face of vehicular movement and other forms of abuse without proper feeding.

The children, whose ages range between 7-9 years, are made to face life-threatening situations on a daily basis, which is a highly cruel form of trafficking.

The NAPTIP boss warned all those involved, including parents who gave out their children for unclear purposes, that the agency had commenced a manhunt for members of this criminal syndicate.