Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) operatives in Kogi State have thwarted a suspected child trafficking operation, intercepting 21 minors aged 6 to 17 who were being transported from northern states into the region. The dramatic rescue occurred on December 5, 2025, around 3:00 p.m. in Isanlu, Yagba East Local Government Area, following a tip-off from community hunters who alerted authorities to a suspicious truck. Four suspects were arrested on the spot, with additional individuals later detained for possessing items that raised security red flags.
Preliminary investigations suggest the children, crammed into a Mangal Cement truck headed toward undisclosed southwestern destinations, may have been targeted for covert recruitment into banditry or other criminal activities. Some suspects claimed the minors were being moved to establish an informal Islamic school in Yagba East, but authorities dismissed this due to lack of verifiable documentation and the clandestine nature of the transport. The operation involved collaboration between NSCDC's Yagba Area Command, other security agencies, and local vigilantes, highlighting effective community-security partnerships.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo swiftly directed the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to take custody of the rescued children, providing welfare, psychosocial support, and profiling at the NSCDC State Command in Lokoja. Once investigations conclude, the minors will be handed over to their home states for family reunification. Officials vowed to prosecute all culprits under Kogi's Child Trafficking and Child Rights Protection Laws, reaffirming the state's zero-tolerance stance on human trafficking and criminal infiltration.