Senator Kawu Seeks to Halt Investigation into Suspected Child Trafficking Case Involving 59 Minors

An investigation into the interception of 59 minors suspected of being trafficked from Kano to Nasarawa State has taken a new turn as Senator Sumaila Kawu, representing Kano South, intervened to stop the probe. The minors, aged between four and twelve, were stopped on January 6 by police along the Abuja-Kano route. They were being transported in a cramped 15-seater Peugeot J5 bus by driver Idris Usman and his assistant, Al Hassan Ibrahim. The children were reportedly headed for an unidentified male resident in Nasarawa State. FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, had initially described the incident as a suspected case of child trafficking and abuse due to the absence of parental consent and proper documentation. However, Senator Kawu appeared at the FCT Police Command, requesting to take custody of the minors. He argued that the children’s movement was part of the almajiri system, a traditional practice where children migrate for Islamic education. Kawu assured the police that he would return the children to their families in Kano and criticized the police for wrongly labeling the practice as trafficking. “The almajiri system is a legitimate educational tradition in Islam. While it needs regulation, it should not be misconstrued as trafficking,” Kawu stated. The FCT Police Command has yet to confirm whether they will comply with the senator’s request to release the children into his custody.