Adamawa State Government has handed over fourteen rescued Children to their parents after they were abducted by a human trafficker in the state.
The handing over took place at Government House, Yola.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Kaletapwa Farauta, explained that a notorious trafficker had perfected the act of trafficking minors aged between four and five years from various communities in the state to the southeastern region of Nigeria, where she sold the victims for amounts ranging from eight hundred thousand naira to 1.7 million naira per child.
According to the Governor, the perpetrator operated from a small provision shop she owned at Jambutu Ward in Yola-North Local Government Area, where she used snacks and gifts to lure unsuspecting children.
He stressed that the crime is not only traumatic to the victims and their parents but also a sad and strange reality for the state.
The governor also provided one hundred thousand naira, along with food and non-food items, to the parents, to support the establishment of small enterprises to cater for their households.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri therefore called on parents to take parenting more seriously, adding that children are sacred blessings from God.
The state Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons NAPTIP, Hassan Naibi, explained that human trafficking is becoming more rampant in the state, and urged parents to be vigilant.
In their separate remarks, the state commissioner, ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Neido Geoffrey, and the member representing Yola North in the state House of Assembly, Suleiman P.A appreciated governor Ahmadu Fintiri, for his quick intervention in rescuing the trafficked children.
Some of the parents who spoke to Radio Nigeria expressed joy while receiving their children and appreciated the state government for its efforts.
Reporting by Jawati Friday