Six man syndicate arrested for trafficking in Lagos
A Six man syndicate that specialises in the trafficking of physically challenged children from the northern part of the country to Lagos and subsequently using the children to beg for alms have been arrested by men of the Lagos State Police Command.
The suspects were identified as Sani Ishaku, Abubakar Gahu, Abdullahi Mohammed, Nasiru Yusman, Mato Abdullahi and Sagiru Ibrahim
The syndicate who have been in the act for years, met their water loo when the Decoy team of the Rapid Response Squad had positioned a mobile CCTV camera which caught the activities of the suspects.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police who paraded the suspects at the Command headquarters in Ikeja on Wednesday revealed that the suspects conveys the children to Mobolaji Bank Anthony way in Ikeja very early in the morning from where where they crawl to different destinations to beg.
Edgal said, ” The Decoy team through the CCTV camera monitored the activities of the syndicate for about a week. It was observed that, the syndicate convey the children to Mobolaji Bank Anthony way in Ikeja very early in the morning, thereafter the children eye made to crawl from one point to another along the highway begging for alms.
” And at noon, a lady brings food for the children. It was also observed that apart from the guides who monitor and collect the proceeds from the children, another man who serves as their leader comes around to collect from the guides.”
Edgal further revealed that four destitute – Nura Idris, Ayuba Idris, Aminu Magaji and Amina Kabiru – whose age ranged from 17 – 12 years were also rescued from the syndicate.
The police also recovered the sum of N12,760 from the suspects.
The leader of the syndicate, Ishaku who is 40 year old said it was the search of what to eat they led him into recruiting children from Jigawa for begging.
He further stated that since the destitute were disabled he felt they could make some money for him and themselves by begging for alms.
Similarly, Yusman who is 27 year old said the inability to get a job led him into using the teenagers for begging.
