Police Foil Child Trafficking Plot, Rescue 76 Minors In Kaduna

The Nigeria Police Force disrupted a planned attack and prevented the attempted kidnapping of dozens of children in Kasuwan Magani, Kaduna State, after acting on intelligence indicating an imminent threat to motorists passing through the area.

Police authorities said the Kaduna State Police Command received credible intelligence that suspected bandits intended to intercept vehicles conveying children through Kasuwan Magani on Monday, January 5, 2026, at about 8:00p.m.

Acting immediately on the information, the Divisional Police Officer of the Kasuwan Magani Division mobilised operatives and deployed them to the location identified as vulnerable to the attack.

Upon arrival at the scene, police officers confronted the suspected attackers and engaged them in an operation that successfully halted the plan.

The intervention led to the rescue of 76 children, including both boys and girls, aged between seven and 20 years.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that the children were rescued without injury and described the outcome of the operation as a direct result of timely intelligence and rapid police response.

He said, “On arrival, the police team engaged and successfully repelled the suspected attackers, leading to the rescue of 76 children, comprising both males and females, aged between seven and twenty years.

“All the rescued children were unharmed. In the course of the operation, three suspects were arrested.”

Preliminary findings from police investigations showed that the arrested suspects were transporting the children to various parts of the country, where they were expected to be subjected to child labour and other forms of domestic exploitation.

Investigators are examining the logistics of the movement, the intended destinations, and the broader network that may have facilitated the operation.

Hundeyin confirmed that the suspects remain in custody, while officers have taken the rescued children to the Command Headquarters, where officials are providing care and protection as efforts continue to identify and reunite them with their parents or legal guardians.

He noted that police have also launched further investigations to determine the full scope of the incident and identify other individuals who may have collaborated in planning or executing the attempted kidnapping.

Authorities said they will charge the suspects to court once investigations are concluded.

The Force restated its resolve to safeguard lives and property and urged members of the public to provide timely and credible information to support preventive and intelligence-led policing efforts across the country.