The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), on Tuesday, said it has rescued 58 out of the 300 missing children in Benue State.

The Zonal Commander, NAPTIP Zonal Command, Makurdi, Gloria Bai, made the disclosure at a press conference in Makurdi.

Mrs Bai, represented by the agency’s Head of Operations, Yusuf Abdul, said the children were rescued at four different occasions.

According to her, the command started investigations on the matter in May 2025.

The zonal commander said the survivors were retrieved from Yelewata, Ukpam and Daudu communities in the Guma Local Government Area.

She said the children were aged between two and eight years.

Mrs Bai noted that the command arrested the gang leader, one Archbong, and four others, saying that the investigation was still ongoing to rescue the remaining children.

She said, “We pulled all frantic efforts to investigate the case, and the command was able to make 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th recoveries of the survivors. The children involved are about 300 and between the ages of two and eight years.

“The 20 children who were taken from Benue, especially in the Guma LGA, to Nasarawa and Abuja were retrieved at first instance. They have been reunited with their families.”

The zonal commander added that the second recovery was at three orphanage homes in Abuja, through which six children were rescued and reunited with their families.

“During the third recovery, we arrested some suspects too, and three children were rescued. The last rescue was on January 12, where 29 children were again rescued. Out of the 300 children, we have successfully rescued 58 children,” she said.

She urged parents and guardians to be wary of the activities of the traffickers and report every suspicious action noticed to the nearest police station.

Mrs Martina Tselem, a mother of the triplets rescued among the children, Martina Tselem, told journalists that they were deceived into giving their children to the traffickers in 2024 on the pretext that they would help fund their education.

Mrs Tselem, who is an IDP and a widow, said that it was during the burial of her husband that she discovered that their acclaimed benefactors were fake.

She stated, “It started in 2024, when one man called Archibong came with Mercy and explained everything to our traditional rulers. Our chief at the IDP camp said the programme was a good one and even announced it to the whole community for people to come out for registration.

“According to them, they were coming to support us, relieve our burden after the herders’ attack by taking our children, and help us train them. Infact it was during the death of my husband that I discovered that they were fake. They even refused to bring my children to pay their last respects to their father. We have started complaining and agitating for the return of our children because we don’t have access to them,” she said.

She said when the children were handed over to the traffickers there was no single form of agreement with them.

Mrs Tselem commended NAPTIP and all men of good will for ensuring that their children return in good health. 

(NAN)