FRSC arrests traffickers with 17 children in Kaduna

The Federal Road Safety Corps, on Saturday, said it arrested a vehicle for overloading and broken windscreen, which was later discovered to be occupied by suspected child traffickers with minors heading to an unknown destination.

The Head, Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, in a statement, stated that the vehicle, a silver Ford Galaxy with number plate LMU76XA, was travelling from Kano to an undisclosed location on Thursday at 11:55 am, when an FRSC patrol team in Kaduna State flagged down the driver, who refused to stop.

The statement read, “But with the advantage of the traffic light at Dutsenma junction that turned red, and the traffic build-up, he was forced to stop, which enabled his arrest and (car) impoundment to the FRSC base at 12, Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna State. “While the patrol team had earlier set out to book the driver for committing traffic offences of overloading and broken windscreen, on close inspection, the team leader noticed that the windscreen of the vehicle has serious crack and counted 17 minors and three adults (a driver, a woman and one other person), totalling 20 persons, instead of only nine persons occupying the vehicle,which raised suspicions. “The vehicle was impounded and taken to the base for overloading, seat belt violation and windscreen violation.

 The Corps’ Sector Head of Operations in Kaduna, who interviewed the driver and could not get a convincing answer regarding the movement of the passengers, had a hunch about the driver’s destination with the children.”

According to Kazeem, the Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, immediately directed the case to bereported to the Comptroller of Immigration in Kaduna State, who immediately sent his personnel to take away the vehicle and its occupants for further investigation at its command. “On getting to their office, the Human Trafficking Unit of Immigration were also not satisfiedwith the driver’s explanation and thereafter, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons was called upon to intervene.

The vehicle and its occupants have been taken to the Kano office of NAPTIP for further investigation and necessary action.“In the wake of this suspicious development, Oyeyemi, who approved the release of the vehicle to NAPTIP to serve as exhibit on their request, used the opportunity to stress the need for constant interagency collaboration to foster security of lives and property in the country,” the FRSC spokesperson said.

Sunday Punch