The Ebonyi State government announced on Thursday that it has received 28 child labour victims from Anambra State.

The commissioner for women affairs and social development, Felicia Nwamkpuma, disclosed this while receiving the victims at a home in Ugwuachara, Abakaliki.

Ms Nwamkpuma said the exercise followed the circulation of a viral video showing rescued children allegedly being exploited in Anambra.

The children and some adults were between the ages of six and 20.

At least 24 of the victims were traced to Ikwo, while four were said to hail from Ezza South Local Government Area.

Ms Nwamkpuma gave assurance that the victims would undergo rehabilitation, including skill acquisition, to enable them to acquire skills for self-sustenance.

According to her, the children of school age will be enrolled in schools to acquire basic education through the state government’s free education programme.

She, however, said the ministry would collaborate with the local government chairmen to identify, trace and reunite them with their families.

“We have continued to sensitise, encourage and advise parents to take responsibility for their children.

“Stop embarrassing the state government,” she said.

The commissioner also said six suspects were being detained by the Anambra police command in connection with the crime while the investigation was still ongoing.

The social welfare officer of the Anambra Ministry of Women Affairs, Obiora Onunkwo, said that the victims were rescued from a child labour syndicate.

Ms Onunkwo said that the syndicate specialised in deploying their victims into hawking in the industrial town of Nnewi.

“The syndicate were using them for hawking, while their own children are in school, living a flamboyant life. We got information when one of the boys hawking for them fainted due to hunger.

“Chibundu Anyigor, an 18-year-old son of the suspect, Moses Anyigor, who was among the children, said the victims were usually recruited to assist his parents, uncles and aunts to sell ‘kanda’ meat.

“Anyigor, who claimed to be a student of Okongwu Memorial Grammar School, also disclosed that some of the victims lived with his parents, uncles and aunts. They were caught on the street by the Anambra Vigilance Group while hawking during school hours,” Ms Chibundu said.

The head of the department of child protection, Emmanuel Nkwuda, promised that there would be a follow-up to ensure that the children traced to Ikwo and Ezza-South were reunited with their families.

“We will follow up to ensure a proper handover from the LGA chairmen to their parents to avoid their return to Anambra,” Mr Nkwuda said.

He appealed to well-meaning Ebonyi indigenes and Nigerians of means to partner with the state government to rehabilitate the children . 

(NAN)