Alimot Haruna, a 45-year-old child trafficker, has admitted to selling over 42 children for child labor during the previous five years.
A group of police officers from the Lagos Police Command’s Ijora Badia Police Station apprehended the suspect on Wednesday.
The suspect, whose operations base is in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara state, was reportedly wanted by the police for a related crime.
According to the suspect’s confessional statement, she works out of Molete Village in Kwara.
“I have sold over 42 children to different clients in the past. Most of my clients are based in Lagos.”
“My target are children between the ages 7 and 12 years. I bring the children to Lagos for child labour” she said.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the arrest, said three underaged children have been rescued from the suspect.
Hundeyin said the suspect who is the leader of a child trafficking syndicate was finally arrested after three months of discrete investigation.
He said the command had been on the trail of the syndicate since it got information about its activities.
“On January 25, 2023, at about 5.45pm, the leader of syndicate one Alimot Haruna of Molete village in Ilorin, Kwara state, was apprehended by detectives monitoring her movement. In the process, three under aged children, two female and one male whose names could not be ascertained, ages 12 and 7 of no fixed addresses were rescued from her.
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect has illegally brought over 52 children to Lagos for child labour without the consent of their parents.
“It was also revealed that the suspect had been declared wanted by the Kwara state Police Command in connection to the disappearance of many under aged children. All the disappeared children had been linked to her syndicate by the Anti-Humab Trafficking unit if Kwara state Police Command.
“When contacted the Kwara state Police Command confirmed that they have recovered some of the children. However, about 11 others could not be accounted for. When interrogated, the suspect mentioned paces where she kept the other children
“When the current custodians were contacted, they admitted that the children are in their custody. Efforts are on to rescue them while awaiting the arrival of Anti-Trafficking unit of Kwara state Command to harmonize the case.
“Meanwhile efforts are on yo rescuing the remaining eight children.”
