The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Department of State Services (DSS) have dismantled a human trafficking syndicate led by a female truck driver employed by a major cement company.
In a statement on Tuesday, NAPTIP’s spokesperson, Vincent Adekoye, confirmed the arrest of Hassana Jacob, a 33-year-old alternate truck driver for a leading cement company, along with six other suspected gang members: Aisha Suleiman, Murtala Tanimu, Shamsu Tanimu, Adamu Jacob, Abubakar Ahmed, and Ali Muhammed.
The suspects were apprehended in Abuja while attempting to sell a three-year-old girl who had been stolen from Damaturu, Yobe State. Investigations revealed that Jacob led a professional trafficking network that specialized in abducting children aged one and above and selling them for ₦600,000 each.
Jacob allegedly used her position as a truck driver to evade security checks, transporting abducted children across the country and delivering them to gang members at prearranged locations. The syndicate reportedly operated nationwide, with members tasked with identifying victims, luring them to truck terminals, and arranging buyers in advance to facilitate quick transactions.
NAPTIP Director-General Binta Adamu Bello, represented by Director of Research and Programme Development Josiah Emerole, condemned the crime as “a heinous act of wickedness.” Bello thanked the DSS for its support and called for increased cooperation among security agencies to protect Nigerian children from traffickers.
The 22-wheeled cement truck used in the operation has been impounded by NAPTIP as investigations continue.
