Kingpin flees as Police arrest child traffickers at IDP camp in Benue

The kingpin of a child trafficking syndicate flee as the Nigeria Police arrested some child traffickers operating within the vicinity of the Internally Displaced Persons camp at Northbank, as well as Makurdi.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Benue State Command,  Anene Catherine, in a statement on Wednesday, disclosed that the Police effected the arrest after intensified surveillance on receiving information about the activities of the syndicate.

The police identified the arrested persons, as Member Friday, said to be the mastermind, his wife and accomplice, Stephen Terungwa, Sughter Akegh and Atom Gideon.

The police, however, noted that Friday escaped to an unknown destination.

The police revealed that the traffickers recruit pregnant girls who they pay N150,000 on delivery of a child and surrendering the child to them for sales.

The PPRO in the statement highlighted|; “During the interview session, suspects confessed to having recruited pregnant girls who gave birth and handed them over to one Friday, the kingpin who has been on the run. They were paid one hundred and fifty thousand Naira for each pregnancy that was delivered.”

The police noted that one child who was earlier reported missing by his parents at the Saudi police Division was also rescued from the house of the said kingpin.

National Daily investigation   found that surrogate motherhood is becoming big business in Nigeria, where girls get pregnant, deliver babies and handover to child traffickers for agreed fees. Findings also revealed that couples with difficulties of child birth, patronize the child traffickers who contract pregnant girls for children at agreed fees. The illicit trade has culminated to the orgy rise of baby factories across the country.