Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris, has reunited five underage children rescued from suspected human traffickers with their parents.

The children were rescued while allegedly being trafficked from Kebbi South Senatorial District to Edo State.

The governor, represented by his Deputy, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, handed the rescued children over to their parents and warned parents against allowing strangers to take their children to unknown destinations under the guise of offering them better educational opportunities.

The children were released to their families in Birnin-Kebbi according to Malam Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor. 

Governor Idris stressed that responsible parents have a duty to protect and care for their children, urging them not to entrust their wards to people whose identities and whereabouts are unknown.

He further warned that the state government would take appropriate action against parents who deliberately neglect their parental responsibilities and allow their children to be taken to unknown destinations.

The Deputy Governor subsequently handed the rescued children over to their parents after reprimanding them and urging them to exercise greater vigilance in safeguarding their children.

Speaking earlier, the State Commandant of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Misbau Iya Kaura, disclosed that the children were taken from their parents in Danko-Wasagu and Zuru Local Government Areas of Kebbi State under the pretext of enrolling them in modern schools.

According to him, the children were intercepted in Gusau, Zamfara State, while being transported to Edo State.

He said five suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident, while another suspect remained at large.

Iya Kaura appealed to the Kebbi State Government to provide suitable facilities within the command’s premises to accommodate rescued victims while investigations into the case were ongoing.

Also speaking the Secretary to the State Government, Yakubu Bala Tafida, assured the command of State Government commitment to supporting efforts aimed at protecting children and combating human trafficking in the state.

The Nigeria Police Force has mourned 10 officers killed during a gun battle with suspected bandits in Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

The police vowed to sustain operations to track down fleeing members of the criminal group.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, following the confirmation by the Kebbi State Police Command that 10 personnel and two civilians were killed during the encounter along the Rafin Makuku axis on Monday.

According to the police, the clash occurred at about 9:25 a.m. when operatives intercepted suspected bandits moving between Zamfara and Kebbi states.

The Force said 17 suspected bandits were neutralised during the encounter, while four motorcycles belonging to the attackers were destroyed.

It added that two police personnel sustained injuries and are receiving medical attention, while two civilians were also killed during the engagement.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, expressed grief over the deaths and condoled with the families of the fallen officers.

Disu described the incident as a loss to the police and the country, saying the officers were killed while carrying out their duties to protect citizens.

The remains of the 10 officers have been conveyed to Birnin Kebbi, while the police said the affected area had been brought under control.

The Force also said additional personnel had been deployed to the area to sustain operations and pursue the fleeing suspected bandits.

The police assured the families of the deceased and injured personnel of continued support, while vowing to bring those responsible for the attack to justice.

Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kano State Command, have arrested a 45-year-old suspected accomplice in a motorcycle theft syndicate.

The operatives recovered an allegedly stolen motorcycle and other incriminating items at Gaida, Abacha Street, in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.

In a statement, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said the suspect, identified as Mustafa Sani, 45, was arrested at his residence following credible intelligence linking him to the activities of a suspected motorcycle theft syndicate operating within the metropolis.

“This was after a companion motorbike with registration number GRR 958 QB (Jigawa) was tracked to his residence,” the statement said.

It said that during a search of his residence, NSCDC operatives recovered a motorcycle suspected to have been stolen from the premises of a hospital at Rijiyar Zaki, along Gwarzo Road, Kano State.

Other items recovered from the suspect included 11 registered motorcycle number plates, six screwdrivers, three pliers and three bunches of motorcycle keys, suspected to belong to stolen motorcycles.

The statement added that the principal suspect, identified as Mansur Nasir Khalil, also known as “S-Guy”, was currently at large, while the Command had launched a manhunt for him and was making concerted efforts to apprehend him and bring him to justice.

The NSCDC State Commandant, Mohammed Agalama, commended the operatives for their vigilance and intelligence-led operation, assuring members of the public that the command would continue to intensify its efforts to dismantle criminal networks involved in motorcycle theft and other forms of criminality across the state.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide security agencies with useful information that could assist in the prevention and detection of crime.

The commandant further assured that the arrested suspect would be subjected to thorough investigation and, upon conclusion of the investigation, prosecuted in accordance with the law.