A Bauchi-based human rights group, the Council for Affirmative Action (COFAA), has described as false and defamatory, allegations of human trafficking levelled against one Pastor Musa Wanda Turaki and its Executive Director, Comrade Mbami Iliya Sabka.
The organisation, in a press release dated 19th March 2025 and made available to journalists in Bauchi on Sunday, stated that it took the efforts of the duo to retrieve four individuals who were trafficked from Miya community in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi State to Enugu State, and later to Port Harcourt in Rivers State, after they had converted from traditional beliefs to Christianity.
While calling on the Bauchi State Government to intervene in the matter, the statement condemned what it described as baseless allegations against Mbami Iliya Sabka, in connection with an ongoing child retrieval case involving victims from Miya Village, Ganjuwa LGA, initiated by their families.
According to the release, COFAA was approached by the parents of eleven victims—namely Adamu Kankaya Kore, Chakawa Dansa, Bebi Bawa, Beai Dibeya, Janji Dansa, Jumallu Dangaladima, Kanuwa Shahu, Danjuma Galadima, Solomon Sumatu, and David Nabuk—on 9th December 2022, to assist in retrieving their children whose whereabouts had been unknown.
Mbami Sabka explained that the parents initially entrusted the children to one Pastor Joseph George in March 2014 for educational purposes, with the understanding that the children would remain within Miya Village.
However, according to the release, Pastor Joseph George relocated the victims to Enugu and subsequently to Port Harcourt, where they were handed over to Pastor Jessy Oguala, who further transferred them to Pastor Mercy Josiah, the founder of Love and Peace Orphanage Home in Port Harcourt.
It further stated that Pastor Mercy Josiah facilitated the adoption of the children by other individuals, and that despite several efforts by the biological parents, including attempts to locate Pastor Joseph George in Enugu in 2019 and 2021, the children could not be retrieved, prompting the families to seek COFAA’s intervention in December 2022.
“Following the complaint lodged at COFAA by representatives of the parents—Turaki Dansa, Kori Dansa, and Musa Wanda—the human rights organisation filed a formal petition with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Port Harcourt Division, Rivers State, on April 26, 2023,” Mbami Sabka explained.
He further disclosed that COFAA staff, in collaboration with Pastor Musa Wanda Turaki, travelled to Port Harcourt for monitoring and follow-up activities, based on an agreement with the families that COFAA staff would stay for five days, with transportation, accommodation, and feeding funded by the families.
However, due to the complexity of the investigation, the team remained in Port Harcourt for thirty days, personally covering all additional expenses to ensure the objectives were achieved.
“As a result of the investigations, two suspects were arrested while four out of the eleven children were successfully rescued, and NAPTIP requested the biological parents’ presence for proper authentication and documentation,” he said.
Upon their return to Bauchi, COFAA invited the families for debriefing and discussion on the next steps, but they failed to show up despite repeated reminders.
“We later learned that they travelled independently to NAPTIP’s Port Harcourt office without our knowledge. NAPTIP, recognising that COFAA initiated the petition, advised them to return with an official introduction letter from our organisation,” he stated.
COFAA further revealed that after hitting a brick wall, a representative of the victims’ families later visited the organisation’s office to disclose that they had secretly travelled to Port Harcourt.
According to him, “We provided detailed guidance, advising him to return with the families so that we could escalate the matter to the Bauchi State Government. Shockingly, instead of collaborating with us, the families proceeded to file a petition against Pastor Musa Wanda Turaki and falsely accused me of involvement in trafficking.”
The petition prompted an invitation by the Bauchi State Command of the Nigeria Police Force to Mbami Iliya Sabka for interrogation. In response, he filed a counter-petition demanding a thorough and impartial investigation.
Sabka added that the Bauchi Commissioner of Police directed detectives to accompany the COFAA team to NAPTIP’s Port Harcourt office for further inquiries to ascertain the true situation.
Upon arrival, the team submitted a formal request to the State Commander of NAPTIP for the release of the two suspects and the four rescued children to the Police Command for continued investigation.
He further revealed that, as a result of COFAA’s intervention, NAPTIP informed the Police that they had contacted their headquarters in Abuja for directives.
Despite the transparency of their efforts, Sabka regretted that the families continued to spread false accusations against the pastor and himself.
The press statement reaffirmed COFAA’s commitment to supporting the efforts of Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, in ensuring justice and the protection of vulnerable children.
He commended the professionalism and dedication of the State Commander of NAPTIP, Rivers State Office, as well as Inspector Yusuf Ezekiel and his team from the Nigeria Police Force, Bauchi State Command.
COFAA also appealed to the Bauchi State Government to intervene and secure the release of the two suspects and four rescued children in line with its petition dated April 26, 2023, pledging continued advocacy for justice, human rights, and protection of vulnerable communities.
The Bauchi State Office of NAPTIP confirmed that four of the children have indeed been rescued and are currently being held at the Rivers State office pending proper identification, documentation, and eventual release to their parents.
A NAPTIP officer in Bauchi commended COFAA for its role in initiating and pursuing the case, assuring that the agency would continue to work with relevant organisations to ensure the safety of children.
A Bauchi-based human rights group, the Council for Affirmative Action (COFAA), has described as false and defamatory, allegations of human trafficking levelled against one Pastor Musa Wanda Turaki and its Executive Director, Comrade Mbami Iliya Sabka.
The organisation, in a press release dated 19th March 2025 and made available to journalists in Bauchi on Sunday, stated that it took the efforts of the duo to retrieve four individuals who were trafficked from Miya community in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi State to Enugu State, and later to Port Harcourt in Rivers State, after they had converted from traditional beliefs to Christianity.
While calling on the Bauchi State Government to intervene in the matter, the statement condemned what it described as baseless allegations against Mbami Iliya Sabka, in connection with an ongoing child retrieval case involving victims from Miya Village, Ganjuwa LGA, initiated by their families.
According to the release, COFAA was approached by the parents of eleven victims—namely Adamu Kankaya Kore, Chakawa Dansa, Bebi Bawa, Beai Dibeya, Janji Dansa, Jumallu Dangaladima, Kanuwa Shahu, Danjuma Galadima, Solomon Sumatu, and David Nabuk—on 9th December 2022, to assist in retrieving their children whose whereabouts had been unknown.
Mbami Sabka explained that the parents initially entrusted the children to one Pastor Joseph George in March 2014 for educational purposes, with the understanding that the children would remain within Miya Village.
However, according to the release, Pastor Joseph George relocated the victims to Enugu and subsequently to Port Harcourt, where they were handed over to Pastor Jessy Oguala, who further transferred them to Pastor Mercy Josiah, the founder of Love and Peace Orphanage Home in Port Harcourt.
It further stated that Pastor Mercy Josiah facilitated the adoption of the children by other individuals, and that despite several efforts by the biological parents, including attempts to locate Pastor Joseph George in Enugu in 2019 and 2021, the children could not be retrieved, prompting the families to seek COFAA’s intervention in December 2022.
“Following the complaint lodged at COFAA by representatives of the parents—Turaki Dansa, Kori Dansa, and Musa Wanda—the human rights organisation filed a formal petition with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Port Harcourt Division, Rivers State, on April 26, 2023,” Mbami Sabka explained.
He further disclosed that COFAA staff, in collaboration with Pastor Musa Wanda Turaki, travelled to Port Harcourt for monitoring and follow-up activities, based on an agreement with the families that COFAA staff would stay for five days, with transportation, accommodation, and feeding funded by the families.
However, due to the complexity of the investigation, the team remained in Port Harcourt for thirty days, personally covering all additional expenses to ensure the objectives were achieved.
“As a result of the investigations, two suspects were arrested while four out of the eleven children were successfully rescued, and NAPTIP requested the biological parents’ presence for proper authentication and documentation,” he said.
Upon their return to Bauchi, COFAA invited the families for debriefing and discussion on the next steps, but they failed to show up despite repeated reminders.
“We later learned that they travelled independently to NAPTIP’s Port Harcourt office without our knowledge. NAPTIP, recognising that COFAA initiated the petition, advised them to return with an official introduction letter from our organisation,” he stated.
COFAA further revealed that after hitting a brick wall, a representative of the victims’ families later visited the organisation’s office to disclose that they had secretly travelled to Port Harcourt.
According to him, “We provided detailed guidance, advising him to return with the families so that we could escalate the matter to the Bauchi State Government. Shockingly, instead of collaborating with us, the families proceeded to file a petition against Pastor Musa Wanda Turaki and falsely accused me of involvement in trafficking.”
The petition prompted an invitation by the Bauchi State Command of the Nigeria Police Force to Mbami Iliya Sabka for interrogation. In response, he filed a counter-petition demanding a thorough and impartial investigation.
Sabka added that the Bauchi Commissioner of Police directed detectives to accompany the COFAA team to NAPTIP’s Port Harcourt office for further inquiries to ascertain the true situation.
Upon arrival, the team submitted a formal request to the State Commander of NAPTIP for the release of the two suspects and the four rescued children to the Police Command for continued investigation.
He further revealed that, as a result of COFAA’s intervention, NAPTIP informed the Police that they had contacted their headquarters in Abuja for directives.
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Despite the transparency of their efforts, Sabka regretted that the families continued to spread false accusations against the pastor and himself.
The press statement reaffirmed COFAA’s commitment to supporting the efforts of Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, in ensuring justice and the protection of vulnerable children.
He commended the professionalism and dedication of the State Commander of NAPTIP, Rivers State Office, as well as Inspector Yusuf Ezekiel and his team from the Nigeria Police Force, Bauchi State Command.
COFAA also appealed to the Bauchi State Government to intervene and secure the release of the two suspects and four rescued children in line with its petition dated April 26, 2023, pledging continued advocacy for justice, human rights, and protection of vulnerable communities.
The Bauchi State Office of NAPTIP confirmed that four of the children have indeed been rescued and are currently being held at the Rivers State office pending proper identification, documentation, and eventual release to their parents.
A NAPTIP officer in Bauchi commended COFAA for its role in initiating and pursuing the case, assuring that the agency would continue to work with relevant organisations to ensure the safety of children.
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