The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has handed over 22 children to the Kaduna State Ministry of Human Science and Social Development to be reunited with their parents.
The children were rescued after the military intercepted a vehicle on January 8.
NAPTIP Director-General Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim in a statement on Wednesday frowned at the increasing rate of child trafficking, employment of children for begging and other exploitative labour in the country.
Suleiman-Ibrahim explained that the chidren were being taken from Kwasalo village in Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State to Nasarawa State for exploitative labour.
The director-general said that the children were cramped into the bus without windows and were weak at the point of rescue.
The NAPTIP boss said that investigation into the case was ongoing but owing to the age of the children, the agency deemed it necessary to re-unite them with their families through the Kaduna State Government.
“This is important to ensure that the children are available in furtherance of investigation and possible prosecution of their traffickers.
“The driver of the bus is in custody as efforts are being expedited to ensure the arrest of other accomplices implicated in the case,’’ she said.
Suleiman-Ibrahim cautioned parents against giving out their children under any guise as they could be subjected to all forms of abuse and exploitation.
