Security operatives in Kogi State have intercepted a truck transporting 21 underaged children under suspicious circumstances, raising concerns about possible child trafficking and covert recruitment for criminal activities.
The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, disclosed the development in a statement released early Tuesday.
According to him, the incident occurred at about 3:00 p.m. on December 5, 2025, when officers of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the Yagba Area Command, working with other security agencies and acting on intelligence from local hunters, stopped a truck carrying children aged between six and 17 years.
Fanwo revealed that preliminary investigations showed the children were brought from multiple northern states, and the adults accompanying them struggled to provide any credible explanation for the movement.
Several suspects linked to the operation were arrested, including individuals who claimed they were taking the children to set up an informal Islamic learning centre in Yagba East. Additional arrests were later made as security personnel expanded their surveillance, uncovering more people allegedly connected to the transportation of the minors.
Some of the suspects were also found with items considered to pose serious security concerns, prompting authorities to deepen the investigation.
The rescued children have since been taken to the NSCDC State Command in Lokoja for further questioning and proper documentation of all persons involved.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has directed the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to assume full responsibility for the children’s welfare, including providing psychosocial support while investigations continue.
Fanwo stated that once profiling and verification are completed, the children will be handed over to their respective state governments for additional inquiries and eventual reunification with their families.
He stressed that anyone found guilty of participating in the trafficking scheme will face prosecution under Kogi State’s child protection and anti-trafficking laws.
The commissioner reaffirmed the government’s firm stance against child trafficking, criminal infiltration, and any form of security threat.
He added that Governor Ododo’s administration remains committed to working with security agencies and local communities to safeguard lives across the state.
