Parents of nine trafficked children in Bauchi State have made a desperate appeal to Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed and his wife, Aisha Bala Mohammed, urging them to intervene urgently and rescue their children from captivity.
The parents, Turaki Dansa, Chawa Dangaladima Turaki, Kori Guyina, Shehu Shanaki, Bawa Turaki, Adamu Shamaki, and Awal Musa, raised their concerns while addressing journalists at the NUJ Press Centre on Wednesday.
Speaking on their behalf, community traditional ruler Musa Kwana stressed that without the intervention of the governor and his wife, they might never see their children again.
The missing children—Sangi Turaki, Cikawa Turaki, Danjuma Turaki, Yangawa Dogo Talangu, Bebi Bawa, Jumolo Dangaladima, Kangaya Kori, Jummai Adamu, and Alti Shehu—all hail from Miya Village in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The parents accused Pastor Joseph Babanzayo and Pastor Musa Wanda, also known as Madugu, of being responsible for the abduction. They also alleged that a total of ₦470,000 had been extorted from them under the guise of rescuing their children.
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Expressing their anguish, they described how an initial relationship built on religious trust had turned into betrayal, premeditated crime, and inhumane treatment.
Kwana stated, “Now that we have tried everything humanly possible for several years since the incident happened in 2014 and could not get a positive result, we want the governor and his wife to step in and wipe our tears. We want to see our children.”
He further disclosed that three of the abducted children had been rescued in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where they had been sold. The children are currently in the custody of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). However, the whereabouts of the remaining six children remain unknown.
Each parent who spoke on the matter expressed deep disappointment over the situation, lamenting that what began as a mutual relationship had turned into a distressing ordeal.
They collectively urged Governor Bala Mohammed and his wife to take decisive action, as they had done in the past, to ensure the safe return and reunion of their children.
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