Air Peace foils child trafficking syndicate in Lagos

By Tobi Adetunji

Nigerian airline, Air Peace has foiled an attempt to traffic two babies by a man and a woman at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Terminal 2, Lagos.

According to a statement issued by the airline on Tuesday, a Passenger Service Executives and Security Personnel became suspicious when the two adults, travelling to Asaba, were being checked in at the counter.

The suspicion intensified when the two adults, who hinted that the babies were three months old each, had different narratives upon questioning.

Further questioning revealed they were not the parents of the babies.

Consequently, Air Peace’s Security Unit took both of them to the MMA2 Police Station where they admitted to being agents who traffic children for adoption.

The police say the case would be transferred to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation and action.

This is not the first time the airline is nabbing suspected traffickers.

In June 2018 crew members had foiled two child trafficking schemes on a Lagos–Banjul flight and another in January 2019 on a Lagos-Port Harcourt flight.