The Kogi State Government says security operatives have intercepted a truckload of underage children allegedly being trafficked into the state in what appears to be a secret recruitment attempt for banditry training.
In a statement released early Tuesday, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, said the children were rescued through coordinated intelligence.
According to him, at about 3:00pm on December 5, 2025, officers of the NSCDC Yagba Area Command—working with other security agencies in Isanlu and acting on reliable information from community hunters—intercepted a truck transporting 21 children aged between six and 17.
Fanwo said preliminary findings showed the children were brought from different northern states by adults who could not provide any credible explanation for their movement.
He added that several suspects connected to the operation had been arrested, including those who claimed they were taking the children to set up an informal “Islamic school” in Yagba East. More arrests were made after heightened surveillance revealed additional individuals suspected to be part of the trafficking network.
Some of the suspects, he said, were found with items that raised serious security concerns. The rescued children have since been moved to the NSCDC State Command in Lokoja for full investigation and proper profiling of everyone involved.
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Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has ordered the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to take immediate custody of the children, ensure their safety, and provide psychological support until investigations are concluded.
After profiling, the children will be handed over to their respective home states for further inquiry and eventual reunification with their families.
Fanwo stressed that anyone found guilty of involvement in the trafficking scheme will face prosecution under Kogi State’s child protection and anti-trafficking laws.
He reaffirmed the government’s firm stand against child trafficking, criminal infiltration, and any activity that threatens public safety.
