The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has uncovered an alleged child-trafficking syndicate that reportedly used a fake civil society organisation and promises of free education to obtain children from vulnerable families.

Fifteen minors have been rescued after they were allegedly trafficked and sold for N2 million each by a member of the syndicate who reportedly posed as an official of the National Council of Child Rights Advocate.

The NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this on Friday at the corps’ headquarters in Abuja.

According to Afolabi, the suspect allegedly approached less privileged parents under the guise of running an NGO and orphanage programme known as the Back to School Project.

“Under the guise of operating an NGO and orphanage programme called the Back to School Project, he lured willing, less privileged parents into releasing their children with promises of free education,” Afolabi said.

The operation was carried out by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad, led by Commander Dandaura Appollos.

Afolabi said the children were taken from Kama Madaki and Gudindi Mada communities in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, with 15 of the 16 trafficked children so far rescued from their alleged buyers.

The rescue operation stretched across several states after intelligence operatives tracked the alleged buyers to different locations.

“Through advanced field tracking, technical intelligence and multi-state tactical sweeps, operatives of the CG’s SIS tracked down the buyers who were from different locations in the country,” he said.

Three of the children were rescued separately in Anambra, Imo and Enugu states, while another 12 were recovered through a coordinated operation along eastern transit routes.

The NSCDC said three alleged buyers, comprising one man and two women, have been arrested in connection with the case.

The development has exposed how promises of education and better opportunities can allegedly be used to gain the trust of struggling parents before children are transferred to traffickers or buyers.

The NSCDC said it maintains a zero-tolerance stance against human trafficking and other forms of criminality.

Afolabi added that suspects found culpable would face prosecution after the completion of investigations.

The corps is continuing its investigation as efforts intensify to account for the remaining child and unravel the full network behind the alleged trafficking operation.