Interstate ring used branded cement truck to transport stolen children
ABUJA — The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has dismantled an interstate child trafficking syndicate, arresting seven suspects including a female truck driver who allegedly used her company vehicle to transport victims.
The suspects were apprehended in Abuja while attempting to sell a three-year-old girl stolen from Damaturu, Yobe State. The ringleader, 33-year-old Hasana Jacob from Plateau State, worked as a driver for a major cement company based in Obajana, Kogi State.
According to NAPTIP spokesperson Vincent Adekoye, the syndicate specialized in stealing children across Nigeria, using the branded truck to evade security checks. Victims were reportedly sold for up to ₦600,000 each through a network of recruiters and buyers operating in multiple states.
NAPTIP Director-General Binta Bello described the operation as a “heinous crime against humanity,” expressing particular shock that a woman led the syndicate. “It is painful to note that human beings will organize a criminal gang, steal children and create everlasting sorrow for families,” she stated.
The agency has impounded the 22-tyre truck used in the operations and continues investigations to identify other syndicate members. NAPTIP commended the Department of State Services for their collaboration in the operation.
