The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, has dispatched a team of investigators to investigate a Lebanese national, Suleiman, AKA Simo, who allegedly defiled minors and used them for pornographic activities.
The Director-General of NAPTIP, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, made the disclosure in a statement signe by the NAPTIP Head of Press and Public Relations, Stella Nezan, on Wednesday.
Mrs Nezan revealed that the crack team was sent to join the NAPTIP office in Jos to join other law enforcement agencies to carry out a thorough investigation on the suspect.
She added that the team was drawn from the NAPTIP Headquarters, Abuja and the Makurdi Zonal Command is led by the Director of Investigation, Daniel Atokolo.
It will be recalled that the city of Jos witnessed a series of unrest in the last week within the Abattoir community in the Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, following the allegation that Mr Suleiman had been defiling underage girls for the past two years.
The suspect was arrested by the police on May 12, when a neighborhood vigilante saw a missing child leaving Mr Sulaiman’s house.
The young girl described what transpired at Mr Suleiman’s house along with 10 other girls allegedly defiled by him.
Although investigation is ongoing to establish the usage of these minors in the production of pornographic materials, one of the victims, a 13 year old, alleged that the suspect apart from sexually abusing them put his fingers in their vagina while playing pornographic materials to them.
Another girl, a 12 year old, also alleged to be pregnant for the suspect.
The anti-trafficking agency said these allegations are in contravention of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act (TIPPEA) 2015 which is administered by NAPTIP.
While dispatching the investigation team to Jos, the Director-General directed the members to be thorough in their activities.
Mrs Imaan urged the team to seek collaboration from sister law enforcement agencies where necessary adding that “compromise will not be tolerated.”
The Director General therefore, advised parents to be weary of those they leave their children with and where they go to as pedophiles and other child abusers are “on the prowl looking for children to destroy.”
