At least 14 children were rescued by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
It was gathered that the children were trafficked from Plateau to Lagos State.
The children were handed over to the state government on Tuesday in Jos by the Commandant of NAPTIP in Plateau, Adole Agada.
Agada said they were rescued by its Zonal Command in Ikeja, Lagos, following intelligence from a credible informant, while explaining that the children are between 13 to 17 years.
In addition, the Commandant said the children hailed from Riyom Local Government Area of the state, and also described the situation as a case of child labour and exploitation.
“We got a tip that three underage girls were taken from Plateau to Lagos, and we swing into action by contacting relevant stakeholders.
“Our men in Lagos arrested one Amina Sadique, the woman who came to collect the three girls at the park.
“Thorough investigation led to the rescue of these 14 young girls and boys,” Agada said.
He noted that the kids were largely used as domestic staff and sales girls and boys, adding that NAPTIP had put modalities in place to curb the situation.
He, however, called on the state government to support its efforts with logistics.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Caroline Dafur, who received the children on behalf of the state government, described the situation as appalling and worrisome.
Dafur explained that this was the third time she was receiving rescued children since she assumed office.
“We rescued four Plateau children from Edo, three from Lagos, and now another 14 from Lagos. This is an unpleasant situation, and as a government, we will not allow this to continue in the state,” she said.
Dafur promised that the state government would enroll the rescued children in schools and skill acquisition programmes, to ensure they were useful to themselves, families and communities in general.
The commissioner, who said that the children would be taken for proper medical examination, commended NAPTIP for the feat.
She, however, warned parents to desist from releasing their children for such exploitative ventures, adding that anyone found culpable, would not be spared.
On his part, Musa Ashoms, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, promised to intensify awareness, particularly in rural communities against the crime.
“We will not allow parents acting on ignorance or hiding under the guise of poverty to sabotage the future of their children.
“We will engage all critical stakeholders to address this rising menace that is putting Plateau in the news for the wrong reasons,” Ashoms said.