The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has announced a significant breakthrough in its fight against child trafficking, revealing that 96 trafficked children from Benue State have been rescued, with 84 already reunited with their families.
The disclosure was made in Makurdi by the newly deployed Zonal Commander of NAPTIP’s Makurdi Command, , during an interaction with journalists. She described the rescue operation as part of ongoing efforts by the agency to dismantle child trafficking networks and return victims safely to their communities.
According to Kuma, one of the major challenges confronting the command upon her assumption of office was the large-scale trafficking of children from communities in . The incident, which came to national attention in 2025, involved the trafficking of more than 300 children from the area to different parts of the country.
She explained that following intelligence reports on the movement of the children, NAPTIP operatives launched a coordinated rescue operation that led to the recovery of dozens of victims from various locations across Nigeria. Many of the children were traced to states including , , , and the , where traffickers had allegedly relocated them under various pretences.
Kuma revealed that before her deployment, the command had already rescued 87 children linked to the trafficking network. More recently, an additional nine children were recovered and brought into protective custody, bringing the total number of rescued victims to 96.
Of the rescued children, 84 have successfully been reunited with their parents and guardians after extensive verification processes were conducted to confirm their identities and family connections. The reunification exercise, she noted, was carried out with careful attention to the children’s welfare and safety to ensure they were returned to legitimate family members.
Despite the progress made, the NAPTIP commander acknowledged that several trafficked children are still missing. She assured affected families that the agency remains committed to locating and rescuing every victim connected to the trafficking operation.
“We have rescued 96 children and reunited 84 with their parents. Our efforts will continue until every child is accounted for and safely returned home,” she stated.
The commander warned individuals and criminal groups involved in human trafficking to abandon the illegal trade or face the full weight of the law. She emphasized that child trafficking remains one of the gravest violations of human rights, depriving children of education, family support, security, and opportunities for healthy development.
According to NAPTIP, traffickers often target vulnerable families by making false promises of education, employment opportunities, apprenticeships, or better living conditions. In many cases, children are moved far from their communities and subjected to exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude, street hawking, and other forms of abuse.
Kuma noted that while human trafficking is a national challenge affecting several states, Benue continues to rank among the areas most vulnerable to child trafficking due to economic hardship, displacement caused by insecurity, and limited awareness among some rural communities.
She stressed that tackling the menace requires stronger collaboration between security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, community groups, and members of the public. According to her, timely intelligence and community vigilance have played a crucial role in many of the successful rescue operations carried out by the agency.
The NAPTIP official also urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to individuals offering to take children away from their communities with promises of jobs, education, or financial assistance. She advised residents to immediately report suspicious movements, recruitment activities, or cases involving missing children to law enforcement agencies.
Human rights advocates have welcomed the rescue operation, describing it as a major victory in the fight against child trafficking. However, they also stressed the need for stronger preventive measures, increased public awareness campaigns, and stricter prosecution of traffickers to discourage future crimes.
As investigations continue, NAPTIP says it remains focused on tracking down the remaining trafficked children, dismantling trafficking syndicates, and ensuring that those responsible for exploiting vulnerable minors are brought to justice.
The latest rescue operation highlights both the scale of child trafficking challenges in Nigeria and the determination of authorities to protect vulnerable children from exploitation, abuse, and criminal networks operating across state borders.
