NSCDC Rescues 15 Trafficked Minors Sold for ₦2m Each by Fake NGO Official

NSCDC Rescues 15 Trafficked Minors Sold for ₦2m Each by Fake NGO Official

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has announced the rescue of 15 minors who were allegedly trafficked and sold for ₦2 million each by a fake official of a civil society organisation, the National Council of Child Rights Advocate . The victims, taken from communities in Nasarawa State, were recovered across multiple states in a coordinated intelligence-led operation that also led to the recovery of stolen rifles and vandalised telecommunications equipment .

The NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this at a news briefing on Friday at the corps’ headquarters in Abuja . He said the rescue was carried out during a major crackdown on criminal syndicates involved in human trafficking, vandalism and other forms of criminality . The Corps also said stolen rifles and vandalised telecommunications equipment were recovered during the operation .

According to Afolabi, a member of the syndicate represented himself as an official of the National Council of Child Rights Advocate and deceived parents into handing over their children . The suspect operated under the guise of running an NGO and orphanage programme called the Back to School Project, using promises of free education to lure vulnerable, less privileged parents into releasing their children .

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“Under the guise of operating an NGO and orphanage programme called the Back to School Project, he lured willing, less privileged parents into releasing their children with promises of free education,” Afolabi said .

He added that the operation was carried out by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS) , headed by Commander Dandaura Appollos . Afolabi said the investigation followed a petition regarding missing children in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State and uncovered a syndicate allegedly headed by one Anderson Archibong .

The suspect allegedly took 16 children from Kama Madaki and Gudindi Mada communities in Kokona LGA in January 2026 and sold them to buyers in different parts of the country for ₦2 million each . Through advanced field tracking, technical intelligence and multi-state tactical sweeps, operatives tracked down the buyers who were from different locations in the country .

According to Afolabi, three of the victims were rescued separately in Anambra, Imo and Enugu states, while 12 others were recovered through coordinated operations along eastern transit routes . Efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining child and apprehend other members of the syndicate .

Afolabi further disclosed that three suspected buyers had been arrested in connection with the case . The suspects were identified as Joy Julius, Ngozi, and Eze Lazarus—comprising one man and two women—and they have allegedly confessed to their involvement in the trafficking operation .

The NSCDC spokesperson said that the Corps maintains a zero-tolerance policy against human trafficking and other forms of criminality . Upon completion of the corps’ investigation, all suspects found culpable will be prosecuted in courts of competent jurisdiction . The NSCDC Directorate of Legal Services has been directed to immediately initiate prosecution against all arrested suspects .

The Commandant General of the NSCDC, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, commended the CG’s SIS for what he described as tactical coordination and operational efficiency .

The development has exposed how promises of education and better opportunities can allegedly be used to gain the trust of struggling parents before children are transferred to traffickers or buyers . The Corps has urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspected cases of child trafficking to security agencies .

In a related development, the CG’s SIS also dismantled a syndicate allegedly involved in the vandalism and theft of telecommunications infrastructure across Delta and Kano states, and recovered three stolen service rifles as part of separate operations targeting illegal arms diversion and internal corruption .

NSCDC Rescues 15 Trafficked Minors Sold for ₦2m Each by Fake NGO Official