Troops of the 177 Guards Battalion, Forward Operating Base (FOB) Mararaba Udege, have arrested a suspected child trafficker and rescued a 10-year-old girl during a stop-and-search operation in Benue State.
The suspect was arrested at about 1 p.m. on September 8, 2026, while travelling in a commercial vehicle from Suleja to Otukpo with the minor.
According to the troops, the suspect claimed to be a dismissed personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and told them that the girl had been handed over to him by her aunt for transportation to Otukpo.
However, the account reportedly came under suspicion after the girl was questioned separately. She allegedly told the troops that she did not know the suspect or the woman he identified as her aunt, raising concerns about the circumstances surrounding her movement.
The troops subsequently handed over the suspect and the child to the Nigeria Police at the Mararaba Udege Division for further investigation and necessary action.
The police are expected to establish the identity of the child, determine her relationship with the suspect and trace the circumstances surrounding her attempted movement from Suleja to Otukpo.
