THISDAY

Bayero, ACF, Others Warn against Abduction of Kano Children

- Ahmad Sorondinki

in Kano

The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, the Arewa Consultati­ve Forum (ACF), and other ethnic groups living in Kano have issued a stern warning over abductions of children in the north, especially Kano State.

Speaking, at a meeting organised by the ACF over the weekend in Kano, the Emir urged the government at all levels to address the menace of traffickin­g, abduction, buying, and selling of children in Kano and other parts of the country.

The Sarkin Shanu Kano,

Alhaji Shehu Muhammad, who represente­d the Emir expressed concern over the recent incident of recovery of abducted children made by the Kano Police Command.

He urged all community leaders, and security agencies in the state to put hands on deck to proffer lasting solutions in addressing the menace before it goes out of hand.

the ACF organised a meeting of all stakeholde­rs on Saturday in Kano to proffer a solution to the crime.

Speaking on behalf of the ACF, the Chairman, Dr Gwani Umar urged traditiona­l institutio­ns, security agencies, community leaders, judiciary, and legislatur­e to work together towards finding a solution to the problem.

"We called for this stakeholde­rs meeting to show our concern with the way children are abducted and sold in the state. Not even abducted, some were sold by their parents, and some were sold by doctors in the hospital after delivery, as confirmed to us by the police commission­er when we visited him.

"We visited the police commission­er and thanked him when he rescued eight children recently.

"The children were from Bauchi, they bring them to Kano, collaborat­e with to give them certificat­es of birth, backdate them, and then sell the children.

"One of them who bought a child at N480,000 was arrested and the police commission­er told us that she said she bought the child because in the Igbo culture if you don't have a male child you will not inherit your husband,” Umar stated.

The representa­tive of Eze Ndigbo, Chief Uwaimo Ifeanyi who represente­d Igwe Igbokwe of Kano condemned the act and called for the wrath of the law on the perpetrato­rs.

"We received with shock and disbelief the abduction of children that were recovered by the police in Kano. We condemn this criminal act in its entirety.

"We call on the law to deal with the perpetrato­rs as we dissociate with the act and remain law abiding" Ifeanyi stated.

Other ethnic leaders present at the meeting included the Sarkin Edo of Kano, Fred Akhigbe, the leader of the Igala community, Abubakar Ibochi, and the Yoruba leader in Kano, Yunus Olanrewaju, who all condemned the act, and dissociate­d themselves from it.

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