Emir of Kano: Trafficking of northern children must stop — we’ll no longer condone it

Aminu Ado Bayero, emir of Kano, has condemned the trend of kidnapping and trafficking of children from the northern part of the country.

On December 27, the police command in Kano said it had dismantled a human trafficking syndicate that specialised in abduction, buying and selling of minors.

The command said nine suspects were arrested, adding that seven children, majority from Bauchi state, were rescued.

Addressing journalists on Saturday, the emir, represented by Ahmad Umar, Dan Malikin Kano, said the emirate would no longer condone the trading of children in the state.

He said the issue has got out of hand that proactive action must be taken to curb it.

“This ugly trend must stop. We have to rise up against it. We will no longer condone a situation whereby our children are kidnapped, sold and their tribe and religion were changed,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“This illicit act must stop. We have to rise up to check the situation as it is going out of hand. The situation cannot stop itself. It is we that will make it stop. It happened few years ago and now it has happened again. Only God knows how many of our children have been kidnapped and sold.”

Describing the situation as disturbing, the emir called for the punishment of the perpetrators to serve as a lesson to others.

He said Kano has been accommodating visitors for hundreds of years, and that the visitors should not take the advantage of the hospitality to commit crimes.

“Kano, for hundreds of years, has been welcoming visitors and taken them as its sons. Recently we have seen a disturbing and unfortunate incident of rescuing children trafficked to Lagos through Kano,” he said.