The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has intercepted 21 minors suspected to be victims of human trafficking near the Nigeria-Niger Republic border in Geidam town, Yobe State. The children, aged between seven and fifteen, were handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation.
Yobe State Comptroller of Immigration, Sani Sule-Jega, disclosed that the minors were being transported from Magama Local Government Area in Niger State to Niger Republic without valid travel documents. “These minors, aged between seven and fifteen, were intercepted at the Geidam Border Out-Post. Our primary mandate is border security and migration management, and this outpost is crucial in curbing illegal migration,” Sule-Jega explained.
He added that the lack of necessary travel documents raised suspicions, prompting the interception. “We have handed them over to NAPTIP for further investigation to determine the true nature of their journey,” he said.
The prime suspect, Abubakar Sadiq, who claimed to be the children’s guardian, insisted that the minors were being taken to Niger Republic for educational purposes. “Their parents asked me to find an affordable school, which is why I am taking them to a school in Maine, Niger Republic,” Sadiq told journalists.
Both Sadiq and the driver have been handed over to NAPTIP, alongside the minors, for further questioning. The case highlights ongoing concerns about human trafficking and illegal migration in the region, prompting calls for heightened vigilance and stricter enforcement of border controls.
