The operatives of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have apprehended a Pastor Simon Kado, and two others for allegedly trafficking 12 children from Nasarawa State.
They were apprehended on Friday while smuggling twelve minors from Nasarawa State to Ogun State—eight girls and four boys, ages five to sixteen.
The development was announced in a statement on Saturday by SP Josephine Adeh, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer.
Adeh said, “Operatives of the FCT Police Command attached to the Rapid Response Squad 74, on Friday, February 9, at about 12:55 am, intercepted one Muhammad Isah, male, of Kafanchan, Kaduna State in a Toyota Hiace bus with Reg No APP 489 XE, conveying twelve; four male and eight female; underaged children to a destination later discovered to be in Ogun state.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the children whose ages are between five years to 16 years, all from Akwanga LGA, Nasarawa State were being trafficked to Ogun state by one Pastor Simon Kado, male, and Jesse Simon-Kado, male, who are now presently in police custody.
“While the investigation is still ongoing and efforts in conduit with Nasarawa State Police Command on how to reunite victims with their respective families, the Commissioner of Police FCT, Benneth Igweh, wishes to reiterate that the safety of residents remains his utmost priority.”
Attacks by bandits and kidnappings have increased recently in the Federal Capital Territory.
Three infamous bandits were eliminated by members of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command’s Special Intervention Squad in a forest in the Bwari neighborhood of Abuja in January 2024.
In the same month, the air component of Operation Whirl Punch in Kaduna state carried out operations that resulted in the death of a kidnapping mastermind known as Janari, along with some of his foot soldiers. Janari was alleged to have planned multiple kidnappings in both Kaduna State and Abuja.
