Benue Links, the Benue State–owned transport company, says it has rescued 19 trafficked minors within the past two weeks through its vigilance and collaboration with relevant authorities.
The company’s General Manager, Comrade Alexander Fanafa, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Makurdi over the weekend.
Fanafa explained that five children were intercepted last week while being transported to Jos, Plateau State, under suspicious circumstances.
“Somebody was taking them to Jos in Plateau State and when we asked, we discovered it was a trafficking case,” he said.
He further revealed that 11 children were rescued earlier from Lagos and reunited with their families through the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). Two others were rescued a few days later, while another child was recovered last Wednesday and safely handed over to her parents in Zaki-Biam, all at no cost to the families.
Highlighting the growing prevalence of human trafficking, Fanafa said Benue Links has distinguished itself as one of the few transport companies actively supporting NAPTIP in the fight against the crime.
“We have safety officers, security officers, and monitoring officers who have undergone training with NAPTIP so we can use our eagle eyes to know when a child is being trafficked,” he said.
According to him, children trafficked from Benue to other states using other transport companies are often brought back home free of charge by Benue Links.
Operating in 35 states across Nigeria, the company pledged to sustain its collaboration with NAPTIP to ensure a trafficking-free Benue and a safer country.