The Police in Ebonyi state command on Monday said it has rescued over twenty-six (26) abducted children from their abductors.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Aliyu Garba stated this in Calabar, Cross River State capital at a four-day media dialogue with media practitioners on ethical reporting and advocacy to eliminate violence against women and girls.
Mr Garba said the victims were abducted in Ebonyi and sold to different states of the federation.
Represented by the Loveth Okimor Ogbouanya, a gender desk police officer in the command, the CP lamented that a great number of poor children are abducted by child traffickers and sold to other states of the federation.
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He said: “We have recovered a total of twenty children who were sold in other states of the federation but for this year, we recovered six from traffickers.
“Sometimes, I use my own money to pursue the cases. It is worrisome that it is the children of the poor people that are usually affected. In most cases, they are told to withdraw the case from the police and that they will be given money. I will make sure that the matter goes to court.”
The commissioner further noted that the police command through the gender desk office has been touring local government areas of the state to ensure that all cases involving violence against women and girls as well as child trafficking is totally eliminated in Ebonyi.
The CP said gender-based violence is an offence and it is a duty of all to report offenders to the Police.
The Nation