Gombe Police Arrest 16 For Child Trafficking

• Abubakar stated that during investigation, it was discovered that one of the babies was alleged to have been sold for N400,000.
• The police have received an intelligence report on a parent who sold her child to alleged traffickers.

In a case involving allegations of child trafficking and criminal conspiracy, the Police Command in Gombe State reports that it has rescued three infants and detained sixteen individuals.

This was said by ASP Mahid Abubakar, the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, or PPRO, at a briefing with media on behalf of Commissioner of Police Hayatu Usman on Wednesday in Gombe.

According to Abubakar, the case was registered over the weekend in response to an intelligence report from the Gombe State community of Barunde.

He said three babies were rescued from the suspects within the state, while two others were trafficked out of the state.

According to him, one of the trafficked babies is now in Lagos, while the other has been traced to Anambra.

He stated that efforts were on to recover the other two babies and return them to the state.

Abubakar stated that during investigation, it was discovered that one of the babies was alleged to have been sold for N400,000.

He said the child was sold to a buyer within the state in collaboration with a social welfare worker in the state.

He said the suspects operated what could be likened to a “baby factory” where their victims were kept in a location and their babies sold after birth.

According to the police spokesperson, the command received an intelligence report on one of the parents who sold her child to the alleged traffickers.

“This is a criminal conspiracy and child trafficking where one Khadija Manzo and 15 others were arrested following an intelligence report received from Barunde community over the weekend.

“That sometime last year, one Khadija Manzo and 15 others were involved in selling babies to people in need.

“On receiving the report, detectives attached to Lowcost Division carried out an investigation which led to the arrest of Manzo, and other suspects,” he said.