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From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
A gender based advocate, Christian Women For Excellence And Empowerment In Nigerian Society (CWEENS), has said that its advocacy has led to the smashing of child trafficking syndicate and the rescue of victims in Jos.
National Coordinator, of CWEENS, Prof Oluwafunmilayo Para-Mallam, said in Jos on Monday that the group’s intelligence-led operation led to the arrest of a woman with trafficked three children and the release of the victims.
According to her, “Acting on credible intelligence, that led to the swift apprehension of a woman named Nanman Pungtel at Old Airport Junction, Jos on the 2nd December, 2024, with three children she could not account for. Further investigation led to the arrest of the mastermind behind the trafficking operation identified as Pastor Dayo Bernard of End Time Army Ministry in Bukuru, later that same night.
“The operation resulted in the rescue of five children, aged between 2 to 4 years, who had been abducted from various homes in Kwande, Qua’an Pan LGA.
“It also led to the arrest of additional syndicate members identified as Rita Agboeze, Victoria Ugwu, and Peter Ukwuani.
“During interrogation, the principal suspect, Pastor Dayo Bernard, confessed to abducting and selling 13 children from Plateau State at prices ranging from ₦350,000 to ₦750,000. All the children were recovered by the police and brought to the CWEENS Safe House between 5th to 10th December for rehabilitative care before reintegration.
“In December 2024 alone, CWEENS provided psycho-social therapy to facilitate recovery for the 13 rescued children and 4 other trafficked children brought in from the Republic of Mali and Ghana. All 17 children have since been successfully reunited with their families through the Plateau State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
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The coordinator said that the recent incident exposed just the surface of the deeply troubling prevalence of child trafficking in the state, demanding immediate and decisive action.
She added, “In the past quarter alone, CWEENS has provided shelter, psychological care, and legal assistance to 42 survivors of trafficking, 32 of whom were children (22 girls and 10 boys). This alarming trend highlights the critical need for heightened community awareness, parental vigilance and reinforced State response mechanisms to protect vulnerable persons, particularly children, from exploitation. As the statistics show, the girl-child is especially vulnerable.
Para-Mallam reiterated the undaunting committment of CWEENS in the fight against human trafficking and all forms of gender-based violence.
She expressed appreciation to the Plateau State Commissioners of Police and Women Affairs, the National Prohibition for Trafficking in Persons Agency, the National Human Rights Commission, the Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission and other strategic partners for their concerted action and unwavering partnership.
Going forward, the coordinator urged all stakeholders, parents and communities to remain vigilant and proactive in identifying signs of child trafficking in the state.
We request the state government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and its relevant agencies, to launch consistent and localized awareness campaigns that will educate communities on the dangers of child trafficking, the importance of parental vigilance, and available reporting channels for suspicious activities.
Para-Mallam emphasized the need for increased multi-agency collaboration to foster stronger partnerships between organizations like CWEENS, law enforcement agencies, and ministries such as the Plateau State Ministry of Women Affairs to ensure a coordinated response to child trafficking and effective rehabilitation of survivors.
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