Nigeria: Container of 62 Children Intercepted
17/07/2007 - Vincent Adekoye
Edo State Police Command last Sunday intercepted a container loaded with
about 62 children and underaged youths suspected to be victims of human
trafficking.
The container which was being conveyed on a Mercedes Benz lorry with
registration number Lagos XH538EKY was sealed up and said to be heading to a
neighbouring country through Shagamu, Ogun State.
Edo State has become an easy route for human trafficking in recent times.
Available records showed that no fewer than 10 children especially girls are
being smuggled out of the state on a daily basis while operators of the illegal
business often come to the state to obtain the necessary papers for their
nefarious acts.
Addressing newsmen in his office in Benin city yesterday, Edo State
police commissioner, Mr. Bala Hassan said because of the circumstances
surrounding the rescue of the victims, the command was poised to get to the
root of the matter most importantly, according to him, since all the victims
were from the same local government and were heading to the same destination.
He said, "on Sunday, July 15, 2007, at about 3.00pm, a Lagos-bound
Mercedes Benz lorry loaded with 62 suspected victims of human trafficking from
Ebi-Iwango Wanihem Village in Yala local government area of Cross River state
was intercepted at the Ekiadolor point of Benin-Ore Expressway and were brought
down for interrogation. The Mercedes Benz was meant for conveying goods and not
human beings".
Mr. Hassan gave some of the names of the victims to include Agidigbo
Victoria (15 years), Okpat Margaret (14 years), Uduhi Mary (15 years), John
Regina (16 years) Akpala Angela (15yrs) and many others.
During interrogation, some of the victims who chorused the same answer
said they were going to Shagamu at Ijebu Ode to look for jobs.
"I want to go and look for job at Shagamu. That is why I am going to
Shagamu. I have not been there before but I want to go there," one of the
victims who gave her name as Ogada Christiana said.
Hassan said the Command would hand over the victims to the National
Agency for the Prohibition of Human trafficking (NAPTIP) for further action.
The Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"
Groupe de communication Mulindwas
"avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"
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