Female Truck Driver and Six Others Arrested for Child Trafficking in Abuja

Authorities in Abuja have apprehended a female truck driver and six other suspects in connection with an interstate child trafficking network. The arrest was carried out by operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS).

The syndicate was reportedly engaged in trafficking and selling stolen children across state lines. They were caught attempting to sell a three-year-old girl who had been abducted from Damaturu, Yobe State.

In a statement on Tuesday, NAPTIP's Chief Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, identified the key suspect as Hasana Jacob, a 33-year-old resident of Mangu Local Government Area in Plateau State. Investigations revealed that Jacob, who worked as a truck driver for a well-known cement company in Obajana, Kogi State, allegedly used her job as a cover to transport kidnapped children secretly.

Other suspects arrested include Aisha Suleiman, Adamu Jacob, Abubakar Ahmed, Ali Muhammad, Murtala Tanimu, and Shamsu Tanimu. Preliminary findings indicate that the group specifically targeted children aged one and above, concealing them in a branded cement truck to avoid detection. The trafficked children were reportedly sold for as much as ₦600,000 each.

Adekoye further disclosed that the syndicate had an organized network of recruiters and buyers across multiple states, enabling them to quickly transport and sell the abducted children. Jacob’s role involved abducting children from different locations, evading security checks, and delivering them to her accomplices at prearranged points.

Reacting to the arrests, NAPTIP Director-General Binta Bello condemned the crime, describing it as "heinous." She expressed deep concern over the fact that a woman was at the center of such a criminal operation.

“I am deeply saddened by this development. It is painful to see human beings organize such a criminal gang, using a branded vehicle to steal children and sell them to unknown buyers. This act inflicts lifelong pain on affected families while the perpetrators profit from their suffering. It is even more distressing that the mastermind is a woman who should understand the pain of motherhood,” Bello stated.

She urged increased collaboration between law enforcement agencies to protect Nigerian children from human trafficking while commending the DSS for its efforts in dismantling the syndicate.

As investigations continue, authorities have seized the 22-tyre cement truck used in the illegal operations.