First Lady, A’isha Vows To Get Bauchi Abducted Children Back Home
By Khalid Idris Doya
The chairperson, Bauchi State Action Committee on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), Hajiya Aisha Bala Mohammed has pledged to take all necessary security measures in ensuring that three children recently abducted from Bauchi and reportedly trafficked to Anambra state were traced back to their parents.
Dr. A’isha Bala Mohammed expressed worrisome when she was briefed about the trafficking of three abducted children to Anambra by a woman named Favour Daniel from Gwallameji, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis, namely Fatima Zakari aged six years; 4-year-old Isa Abdulkadir and Salisu Sabo also of four years of age.
The wife of the governor said despite that two of the abducted children were traced to Anambra state after apprehending the culprit there by security operatives, but she is still disturbed having not yet transported the traced two children back to Bauchi.
Dr Aisha spoke yesterday when she interacted with parents of the abducted children, the Police and members of Federation of Women Lawyers Association (FIDA) State Chapter, as well as the village head of Gwallameji in her office in Bauchi Thursday.
It could be recalled that the suspect identified as Igbo by tribe abducted the three children last Tuesday after incentivizing them from her neighbors at Gwallameji quarters of Bauchi metropolis, only five days after she rented a room from the vicinity, camouflaging to be a student of a nearby Federal Polytechnic.
Hajiya A’isha Bala Mohammed has assured the Gwallameji people that she could do all that is humanly possible to ensure the remaining yet to be traced stolen child is recovered through the culprit who might have sold the victim elsewhere.
She therefore drew the attention of Gwallameji people, especially mothers to be vigilant on the activities or doings of their children, and to prevent them from going on errands, stressing that they shouldn’t be lackadaisical in the proper upbringing of their children.
She explained that her committee would not relent in its ongoing enlightenment drive of educating parents to live up to their responsibilities of giving proper guidance to their wards, while curbing them against undesirable elements in the society.
A’isha also expressed regret that such an incident has been reoccurring in the state for some time now, and counseled parents to be vigilant about their wards, observing that it is a phenomenon currently ravaging the northern states of the federation.
She also wondered how parents are reluctant in tutoring their children, despite the enlightenment being conducted by government, Non-governmental and civil society organizations, and teachers in educational institutions across the state.
The First Lady further drew the attention of parents against the activities of unscrupulous elements in the society such as ritualists, human traffickers and the likes who were bent on making quick money
Parents at the interaction Maryam Habibu, Rashida Hassan and Saratu Isah were grateful to God for the rescue of their children and prayed to Allah for the trace of the remaining child abducted last Tuesday, saying they were happy when it was discovered that their children were traced in Anambra state.
They said the woman induced their children with gift incentives and the children were playing in their compound when they were kidnapped.
Village Head of Gwallameji Alhaji Hassan Ibrahim said when he received the story about the incident he directed the parents to report the incident to Police and immediately started making more effort to get the abducted children.
Ibrahim said Police Public Relations Officer PPRO called him to enquire about the picture two out the three rescued children and he showed the picture to the parents of the abducted children and they identified them as their true biological children, and they asked about the remaining child, they replied that Police went to bring himIn their separate accounts of the incident three women.
