A man in Adamawa State identified as Yohanna Saidolo has confessed to taking six children from his neighbours in the Koma area of the state and selling them to a woman in Yola.
Saidolo, who took the children after deceiving their parents that he was enrolling them in a missionary school, now faces the charge of ‘dealing in human beings and trafficking in persons’.
He is currently before a court in Yola where he has pleaded guilty to the charge against him and which has ordered that he be remanded pending further processes towards his prosecution.
Earlier, the police prosecutor, Inspector Ibrahim Aliyu, had told the court, while arraigning Yohanna, that a resident of Koma, Markus Anthony and five others reported to the police on 5th February 2022, that the defendant deceived them and took their children to an unknown destination.
The police prosecutor said took the six kids instead to a destination not known to the parents.
After the plea of the defendant, the prosecutor applied that the matter be adjourned to enable them to conclude the investigation for the purpose of transmitting the case file to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice.
While ruling on the application for adjournment, Magistrate Alheri adjourned the case to the 25th March 2022 and ordered the remand of the defendant.
Yohanna is quoted to have said that he handed over the children to a woman identified simply as Madam Lydia of Rhumde Baru in Yola North LGA in May and July 2021, respectively.
It is yet to be established what Madam Lydia had in mind for the children.
