As evil as evil can ever be.

Girls who fled Boko Haram attacks are being enslaved and raped by human traffickers from the SE who then sell their babies.

By Philip Obaji Jr.
Published On 3 May 2020
3 May 2020

As 16-year-old Miriam* stepped out of her tent to fetch water near the Madinatu Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state in January last year, a middle-aged woman she knew as “Aunty Kiki” approached her.

She asked Miriam if she was interested in moving to the city of Enugu to work as a housemaid for a monthly salary.

Miriam, who is now 17, wasted no time in accepting the offer and began to prepare for her trip to the east the following day.

She told her 17-year-old cousin, Roda*, about it and advised her to approach Aunty Kiki.

When Roda, who is now 18, met Aunty Kiki the next morning, she asked if there was a job for her, too. The woman quickly agreed, so Roda packed her bags.

“We were both very excited to travel to Enugu,” Miriam says. “We had suffered so much for four years and were happy to go somewhere new to start a new life.”


The promise
Both girls, who used to live in the same compound in Bama, fled the northeastern Nigerian town in 2017 when Boko Haram stormed the area, burning down houses and kidnapping women and children.

Miriam and Roda fled, leaving other members of their family behind. They do not know what happened to them.

The two girls trekked for several days to reach Madinatu, where they remained for nearly two years before their trip to Enugu in southeastern Nigeria.

In Madinatu, Miriam and Roda lived together in a small bamboo tent inside the camp that houses more than 5,000 people who, like them, had fled Boko Haram.

Life was tough in the camp. Food was in short supply and IDPs had to beg on the streets of the nearby town to be able to get enough to eat.

So the girls jumped at the chance of paid jobs in Enugu.


They did not have time to tell anyone they were going.



The journey
First, they travelled with Aunty Kiki to Maiduguri.


Then a 12-hour journey to Abuja followed. They spent the night there in the home of a woman who knew Aunty Kiki.

The next day, after a nine-hour journey, they reached Enugu.

Aunty Kiki took them to a compound where she handed them over to an elderly woman she called “Mma” and told the girls to do whatever the woman asked of them.


“The compound had two flats of three bedrooms each, filled with young girls, some of them pregnant,” says Miriam. “Aunty Kiki said it was where we’d be working.”

At first, the girls thought their jobs were to clean the compound and do household chores as Aunty Kiki had led them to believe. Their new employers, however, had other ideas.

A daily torture
“Mma asked that we stay alone in separate rooms for that first night,” Miriam explains. “We were surprised because the other girls in the compound were sharing rooms, some of which had four people in them.”


Late that night, according to Miriam, a man walked into her room, ordered her to take off her clothes, held her hands tightly, and raped her.

The same thing happened to Roda, but her rapist was much more brutal.

“When I tried to scream, he covered my mouth and gave me a dirty slap,” Roda says. “If he saw tears in my eyes, he slapped me even more.”


The next day, the girls were moved to shared rooms with others, only being sent to single rooms when they were required to “work”.

Both girls say they were raped almost daily by several different men.

They believe that Mma and Aunty Kiki work together in the same trafficking cartel and that Mma is the leader of the group.

All they could make out for sure, however, was that the two women communicated with each other and the men in Igbo, the language spoken in southeastern Nigeria.



Giving birth
Within a month, they were both pregnant. But still, they were raped.


“It doesn’t matter whether you are six weeks or six months pregnant,” says Roda. “If any of the men wants you, you can’t say no.”

It was pointless trying to escape, they explain, because the compound was guarded by men with guns.

Around a dozen girls were living in the compound when Miriam and Roda first arrived. But the number would change as the girls gave birth and were sent away, before new girls were brought in to produce more children for the cartel.


Miriam gave birth to a baby boy in the compound, with the assistance of a midwife who was called in from outside. But her son was taken from her.

Three days later, she was blindfolded and taken to a bus station where her traffickers made sure she boarded a vehicle back to the north.

“They didn’t want me to know the way to the compound, that’s why they covered my face,” she explains. “I was given 20,000 naira (about $55) to assist in my transportation to my destination.”


She first went to Abuja where she spent a night on the street before boarding a commercial vehicle back to Maiduguri.

‘Boys are more expensive’
Miriam does not know how much her baby was sold for.

“Some traffickers let their victims leave after giving birth because they believe if girls stay for too long, they could develop a plan to expose the trade,” explains Abang Robert, public relations head of Caprecon Development and Peace Initiative, an NGO focused on rehabilitating victims of human trafficking in Nigeria. “They are scared of sabotage.”


Baby factories are more common in the southeastern part of Nigeria, where security operatives have carried out several raids, including an operation last year when 19 pregnant girls and four children were rescued.

Women and girls are held captive to deliver babies who are then sold illegally to adoptive parents, forced into child labour, trafficked into prostitution or, as several reports suggest, ritually killed.

“Boys are more expensive than girls in the baby sale business,” says Comfort Agboko, head of the southeastern arm of Nigeria’s anti-trafficking agency, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), at her office in Enugu.


“Male children are often sold for between 700,000 naira (about $2,000) to one million naira (about $2,700) while female babies are sold for between 500,000 naira (about $1,350) and 700,000 naira.”

The majority of the buyers are couples who have been unable to conceive.

Although anyone caught buying, selling or otherwise dealing in the procurement of children can be prosecuted, the baby trade remains prevalent in Enugu.


‘Orphanages’
In recent years, security officials have carried out several undercover operations targeting suspected baby trafficking cartels whose operations the Enugu state government said are aided by some security agencies and unscrupulous state officials.

To avoid suspicion in the local community, baby factories are often presented as orphanages, experts explain.

“Baby factory operators hide under the ‘canopy’ of orphanages,” says Agboko. She believes people receiving babies from them either do not know or do not care that they are not really orphans.

NAPTIP has arrested and prosecuted a number of people involved in the sale of babies in the southeast in recent years, Agboko explains. There are currently around half a dozen cases going through the court system.

“We are now working in collaboration with the association of orphanage homes operators in the entire southeast to identify, arrest and prosecute such people,” she adds.

There is no official data to show how many babies are bought and sold each year in Nigeria, nor the number of girls exploited by human traffickers. The United Nations estimates, however, that “about 750,000 to one million persons are trafficked annually in Nigeria and that over 75 percent of those trafficked are trafficked across the states, 23 percent are trafficked within states, while 2 percent are trafficked outside the country.”

Human trafficking ‘widespread’
Like Miriam, Roda was also discarded after she gave birth to a boy.

The cousins were reunited in Madinatu, where they are now living together in a small mud house, not far from the camp they were trafficked from.

“Luckily, we got to Madinatu on the same day,” says Miriam, who spent weeks on the streets of Abuja, before she was able to make her way back to the northeast.

“We thought it was no longer safe to stay in the camp, so talked to the man who owns this place to let us stay here.”

To earn money, the girls now make and sell groundnut cakes at a mini kiosk just outside their compound.

They were not the first to be trafficked from the Madinatu camp. There have been many reports of girls being trafficked from the camp to cities in Nigeria and to countries including Italy, Libya, Niger and Saudi Arabia. The victims are often promised good jobs only to end up being exploited or enslaved.

Although widespread in Madinatu, the problem of human trafficking is not peculiar to this area alone. It is common across the entire northeast region.

The 2019 United States Department of State Trafficking in Persons report revealed that: “Sexual exploitation, including sex trafficking of IDPs (internationally displaced persons) in camps, settlements, and host communities around Maiduguri remained a pervasive problem.” The report also notes that some security officials are complicit in these activities.

NAPTIP says it is aware of high numbers of cases of human trafficking in Madinatu and is increasing efforts to address the issue in the IDP camp in particular.

“The office has now increased surveillance in the IDP camp,” Mikita Ali, head of the NAPTIP office covering the northeast region, says. “We are working with camp managers and camp officials to whom we’ve given our toll-free numbers and told to call us if they suspect any case of human trafficking.”


Mohammed Lawan Tuba, a community leader in Madinatu, urges IDPs to pay attention to messages about how to tackle human trafficking [Philip Obaji Jr/Al Jazeera]
‘Easy to exploit’
Inside the Madinatu camp, however, residents remain worried about the number of cases. Community leaders say the lack of adequate amenities like potable water facilities and cooking stoves means that people have to walk long distances in search of water and firewood, making them vulnerable to the human traffickers who prey on them.

“If we had easy access to water and firewood, there’d be little talk of human trafficking,” says Mohammed Lawan Tuba, a community leader in Madinatu. “Criminals take advantage of our children when they go out to find what they need to keep them and their families alive.”

Human rights campaigners are running “sensitisation campaigns” which aim to educate displaced persons about the dangers of human trafficking and how to spot the signs of it inside the IDP camp.

But Yusuf Chiroma, head of the Borno Community Coalition, a group of aid workers assisting survivors of the Boko Haram insurgency through skills acquisition programmes, says: “Displaced persons in Madinatu are really struggling to survive, as they are not getting enough food supply from the government and that is why it is easy for traffickers to exploit those who are desperate for jobs.”

“Sensitisation programmes have to be matched with adequate security and availability of food and social services by the state government to effectively tackle human trafficking.”

Heathen interpretation of the Bible


Stop blaspheming God's words in the Bible .


Do your usual useless propaganda without dragging the Bible onto your latest madness.

Mumbai: The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs has arrested a Nigerian woman for allegedly trying to smuggle heroin worth Rs 2 crore from Mumbai to Delhi. Sources said this drug was meant for new year celebration.
Acting on specific intelligence the AIU intercepted accused Victoria Okafor , who was travelling from Mumbai to Delhi early morning on Saturday. At first she denied carrying drugs, but upon being frisked the officials found a stash containing 20 capsules purported to be heroin, hidden in her brassier. Once it was confirmed that the contraband was a narcotic substance, she was detained. During interrogation she admitted to being aware of carrying drugs. She said the drugs were handed over to her by one Onye in Nallasopara, adding that she carried the contraband for Rs 50,000. Her lawyer Prabhakar Tripathi, however, claimed that his client is innocent and that under duress the agency took her statement. He added that Okafor was unaware that the parcel contained narcotic substances.


https://www.google.com/amp/s/timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/nigerian-woman-arrested-for-smuggling-heroin-worth-rs-2-crore-from-mumbai-to-delhi/amp_articleshow/105871384.cms

THE DISMANTLING OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING SYNDICATE THAT SPECIALIZED IN ABDUCTION, BUYING AND SELLING OF MINORS

On 15/12/2023 at about 1535hrs, a team of Policemen, while on intelligence-led surveillance duties at Mariri Luxurious Park Kano, intercepted one Comfort Amos, aged 45 years, 'f' of Tudun Wada Quarters while transiting to Lagos with a child, one Abdulmutalib Sa'ad, aged 5 years, 'm', of Zango Quarters in Bauchi State. At the stage of Preliminary investigation, four (4) other suspects namely; (1) Chika Ezugbu, aged 52 years, 'f' of Sabon Gari Quarters, (2) Joy Nzelu, aged 43 years, 'f' of Sabon Gari Quarters (3) Clement Ali, aged 35 years, 'm' of Badawa Quarters, Kano, and (4) Emeka Ekeidigwe, aged 55 years, ‘m’, of Weitherhead Sabon Gari Quarters Kano were separately arrested for being part of the syndicate that is committing the crimes. It was discovered during the investigation that the child Abdulmutalib Sa'ad, aged 5 years, 'm', of Zango Quarters was abducted on 12/12/2023 from Bauchi State. Further investigation revealed that the suspects are in the same cycle of abducting, buying and selling minors from Bauchi and Kano States, trafficking and selling them to people within their racket in different locations in Lagos and Anambra States.
In addition, two (2) more syndicate members were arrested in Bauchi, namely; (1) Ruth Yarima, aged 45 years, 'f', of Zango Quarters Bauchi and (2) Abner Samuel, aged 35 years, 'm', of Yelwa LGA Bauchi State. While one other syndicate member was also arrested in Lagos State; she is Nndemma Obi, indigene of Nnewi, Anambra State, aged 59 years, through whom another syndicate member was also arrested at Anambra State; She is Ebere Eriobuna, aged 59 years, ‘f’, of Nnewi. This brought the total number of the child on trafficking syndicate suspects to nine (9) among them seven (7) children between the ages of 3-8 have been rescued by the Police.
It was found during investigations that another victim Mohammed Ilya who was abducted from Bauchi but his name changed to Chidebere was sold recently at Nnewi in Anambra State. He has also been rescued. On this, members of the public should be assured that as thorough investigations are ongoing by the police command for justice to be served, Kano residents should know that there is no hiding place for criminals in the state. Below are the pathetic story on how the network was run over the last ten (10) years:
Abdulmutallib Sa’ad, aged 5 years, 'm', was abducted from Bauchi, his name changed to Ifenyin Chukwu and sold at ₦480,000:00, but rescued by the police at Mariri Luxurious Park.
Asiya Muktar, her name changed to Chioma, sold N480,000 aged 4 years, 'f', abducted from Bauchi, and rescued at Niger Road, Sabon Gari Quarters, Kano.
Mahmud Bilyaminu, aged 3 years, 'm', abducted from Bauchi, re-named Chioma, sold for N450,000 and rescued at Niger Road, Sabon Gari, Kano.
Usman Adamu, aged 8 years, 'm', abducted from Bauchi, sold at ₦450,000:00, and his name changed to Chibuke also rescued at Yoruba Road, Sabon Gari Kano.
- Hafizu Hassan, aged 8 years, 'm', abducted from Bauchi, sold at ₦480,000:00, and his name changed to Uche Chukwu rescued at Niger Road, Sabon Gari Kano.
- Chiamaka Ambrose, aged 7 years, 'f', abducted on birthday at Yelwa Bauchi, sold at ₦300,000:00, rescued at Niger Road, Sabon Gari Kano, we are still searching for her parents.
Mohammed Iliya, aged 5 years, ‘m’, abducted from Bauchi 3 years back, sold at ₦500,000:00, and renamed as “Chidebere” been rescued at Nnewi, Anambra State.
Some of these children are cultured and assimilated as they can no longer speak their parents' language.

PPRO
KANO STATE POLICE COMMAND

The Kano State Police Command has arrested nine suspects who alleged specialised in inter-state trafficking, abduction, buying and selling of minors.

The state police commissioner, Usaini Gumel, made the disclosure while parading the suspects at the Bompai command’s headquarters on Thursday.

He explained that the suspects were apprehended after conducting several intelligence-led operations through which the long time cycle of inter-state trafficking syndicates hibernating around Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, Lagos, Delta, Anambra and Imo states was identified and dismantled.

According to Gumel, a total of seven victims, who are mostly minors, were rescued from the clutches of the harrowing criminal activities.


“It was through diligent investigations by our dedicated team of officers that the operations of these criminal networks that had been in existence for more than 10 years were identified,” he said.



The commissioner disclosed that some of the rescued children aged between three and eight that were rescued were sold at prices between N300,000 and N600,000 depending on their ages.

“It was found during investigations that a victim Mohammed Ilya who was abducted from Bauchi but his name changed to Chidiebere was sold recently at Nnewi in Anambra State,” Gumel said.
He said the command would collaborate with the state government to ensure that all the abducted children were safely returned and reunited with their original family members.

The commissioner assured members of the public that the command under his watch had put in place reinforced security measures to end the menace once and for all.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5afXETsHbk

nedu666:
This man is a liar. In what capacity would she have ordered the accountant General and commissioner of finance to pay money within 3 hrs when there was an acting gov who already freezed all accounts

You must defend your thief sister

harjay1986:


Just let this stop this year abeg, ahhhnnn, naa everywhere the thing dey oga forget which one be Igbo again, let think the way forward, not ethnic gas gbos, una no dey taya

The guy in the video is Ibo

I hope you are all seeing how they are defending their thieving gold digger of a sister.

Dennison27:
Most of you did not actually watched the video till the end. I am not in support of what he said but I am glad that the lady was able to advice him. The worst tribe on earth to be the first born of the family is the Igbo tribe. Na you go carry the mistakes of the family. At a tender age you have started thinking like a man because waiting for your dad to provide for the family is like waiting for Christ to come. We go through hell!!

So is that an excuse to sacrifice one's mother for money rituals ?

The newly sworn governor should not waste time investigating that thief of a first lady.

All transactions signed by the late Akeredolu when he was away on his sick bed must be reviewed and probed.

For those making excuses for this abomination of a human being claiming poverty is the cause, I want you to know that within the context of the interview, he was asked if he will sacrifice his mother for money rituals and without skipping a heartbeat, he said he would.


This is not an economic situation we are dealing with here but rather a cultural deficit one that promotes materialism.

The interviewer first asked the man where he is from to which he answered.

This is a case of materialism that abounds within the ethnic group the man said he is from.


There is no excuse for this rubbish.

There are billions of poor people in the world and they will never consider such a diabolical and evil route to wealth .

See them posting their latest lame duck fake patriotism and from there they will blatantly tell you only an Igbo man can rescue Nigeria and that for fairness (whatever that means) the Igbo must be gifted the presidency.

The reason I oppose a Peter Obi presidency is because it is now an Igbo project towards a selfish Igbo presidency.

Note that the last person outside the Fulani to see to Nigeria's restructuring back to pre Ironsi's Zikist inspired Marxist decree 34 is the Igbo.

Have you for once heard any Igbo man calling for state autonomy as was the case in the old first republic?

I have said it tines without number here that Biafra was plan B for the igbos to continue their mini Nigeria domination of other tribes just as they did in the defunct eastern region.

Peter Obi is all mouth salad.

He is not going to change a damn thing rather he is hoping on replacing the outgoing Fulani thieves with his OSU brethren.

For Igbos to suddenly forget their useless Zionist project and begin to embrace one nijeriya (under an Igbo presidency) know that their Biafran project was never ever feasible within their blighted five leprous contiguous states. This they finally came to the realization after being rejected strongly by the Niger Delta. So instead of Biafra or death, they are now bent on getting the presidency to continue from their truncated foolishness of 1966.

Do not fall for Obi's nonsense mouth salad. All he says is atypical to every desperate politician. .

God forbid that Obi becomes the president tomorrow and when cases of corruption and ineptitude begin to flood everywhere, his supporters here will tell you to your face :"and so?".

Go to the yeast and see how backward and neglected it is as if there is no trace of governance nor accountability. The Igbos are the last to accuse their governors of corruption because to these Philistines, the governor ought to recoup the money he spent on campaigns. If in doubt, have you read of any petition from within any Igbo state exposing corruption by their governors ? The answer is a big no. Because the Igbo mindset is criminal bent and materialistically driven to the point that the ends justify the means.

Ask them on Obi and the Pandora scandal and see how these lost humanity will insult you for bringing it up . But these are the same people that see Atiku and Tinubu as crooks but their candidate remains a saint.

Don't be fooled by Igbo agenda in the form of an Obi presidency.