The Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, in collaboration with security agencies, has rescued five children who were allegedly being trafficked to Calabar, Cross River State, and arrested three suspects in connection with the incident.
The children were intercepted at the Ngo Tallatu Jang motor park in Jos on Thursday, February 13, 2026, following a tip-off. Authorities said three of the children are from Utan community in Jos North Local Government Area, while the other two, who are twins, hail from Irigwe Chiefdom in Bassa Local Government Area.
The suspects were identified as Lydia Bulus, Linda Monday and Esther Solomon.
Chairperson of the Commission, Olivia Dazyam, said the rescue operation was carried out in partnership with the wife of the Chairman of Bassa Local Government Area and officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
“This morning, together with the wife of the Chairman of Bassa Local Government and staff of NAPTIP, we acted on a tip-off and rescued these children,” Dazyam said, expressing concern that human trafficking persists despite ongoing sensitisation campaigns.
She stressed that child trafficking remains a serious criminal offence under the law and called on residents across the state to support efforts aimed at dismantling trafficking networks.
“Virtually all our local governments have perpetrators, and we must work together to fish them out,” she said, urging local authorities, particularly in identified hot spots, to strengthen cooperation with enforcement agencies.
Dazyam also advised parents to follow proper legal procedures when adopting or relocating children, warning that poverty should not be used as justification for handing children over to unknown individuals.
Investigations are ongoing, and authorities say the suspects are expected to provide further information to assist in uncovering the trafficking network.