Security agencies in Plateau State have broken a child trafficking gang that poses as evangelists.

This followed the arrest of five people for trafficking and selling of children.

Those arrested included Pastor Di Bernard, the head of the “End Time Army Ministry” in Bukuru, Plateau State.

Other individuals apprehended are Peter (a male), Namman Pel (a female), Victoria Ugu (a female), and R. Au (a female from Karu, Abuja).

According to a recent report by Symfoni TV, the gang specialised in kidnapping children and selling them for between N350,000 and N750,000 to members of the public.

However, five children between the ages of two and four were rescued on December 2, 2024, through an intelligence-led operation carried out by the law enforcement agencies.

The kids were said to have been kidnapped from Jos and other places in Plateau State.

During interrogations, the suspects provided information about the operations of the trafficking network.

Pastor Di Bernard confessed that he had been using his position as an evangelist to deceive parents into handing over their children.

“I went to Quanpan District in Plateau State under the disguise of evangelism, I told the parents that I had an NGO offering sponsorship for education, from primary school all the way to higher institutions.”

The investigation showed that between April and November 2024, Pastor Di Bernard had worked with R. Au to abduct no fewer than eight children from different communities in the Kanke and Bassa Local Government Areas of Plateau State.

The children were then sold to buyers in various states, including Plateau, Abia, Enugu, and Lagos, at prices ranging from N350,000 to N750,000 per child.

The children were sold under the guise of adoption, with the buyers subsequently changing the children’s names. Law enforcement agencies have so far successfully rescued 13 children, aged between two and ten years.

The children were returned to their families through the efforts of the Plateau State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

“This case is so pathetic, young children are being traded by certain individuals,” an official involved in the investigation remarked.

Terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State group have killed six soldiers in a raid on a military base in northeastern Nigeria, two military sources confirmed to AFP on Monday.

The attack occurred early on Sunday, when fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched a coordinated assault on the base in Sabon Gari, located in the Damboa district of Borno State.

The militants arrived in trucks and on motorcycles, the military sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The attackers set fire to the base and destroyed army vehicles during the raid, the sources added.

“We lost six soldiers in the ISWAP terrorist attack on the base after an intense gun battle,” one military officer said, describing the heavy fighting.

The soldiers were ultimately forced to retreat, according to the officer.

In response, fighter jets were deployed from the regional capital, Maiduguri, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) away, and struck the retreating militants.

The second military officer, who provided the same casualty toll, said, “Air strikes against the fleeing terrorists resulted in multiple militant fatalities and the destruction of operational vehicles and their weaponry.”

However, the officer did not provide details on the number of ISWAP casualties.

Armed bandits led by a notorious kingpin, Danisuhu, have imposed a crippling levy of ₦172.7 million on 25 villages in Tsafe West, Zamfara State, plunging the region into further insecurity and economic despair.

Zagazola Makama, Counter Insurgency Expert on Lake-Chad, reported that the levies, which include demands for in-kind contributions like bags of soybeans, have triggered mass displacement as residents flee under the threat of violent reprisals.

According to him, the bandits issued specific financial demands to each of the affected villages in Tsafe West, Zamfara State. Gijinzama was ordered to pay ₦8.5 million, while Dakolo faced a levy of ₦5 million alongside an additional demand for 20 bags of soybeans. Gunja was mandated to pay ₦7 million, and Kauyen Kane received a demand for ₦5 million. Kurar Mota was tasked with raising ₦6 million, while Sabon Garin Bakin Gulbi was given a comparatively smaller levy of ₦2.5 million.

Other villages faced similar burdens. Kibari was ordered to pay ₦3 million, Daga Ciki ₦3 million, Karda ₦5 million, and Biya ₦5 million. Barebari was levied ₦6 million, while Kauyen Magaji was charged ₦7 million. Kwaren Maisaje and Magazawa were each hit with hefty demands of ₦10 million. Maciya, Unguwar Danhalima, Unguwar Rogo, Katanga, and Magazu were each required to pay ₦5 million.

The demands escalated further for some villages. Sungawa and Rakyabu were each levied ₦15 million, while Yalwa was tasked with raising ₦2.7 million. Tsageru and Gidan Anne were each asked for ₦5 million and ₦7 million, respectively. The highest demand was placed on Kunchin Kalgo, which faced an enormous levy of ₦20 million.

These levies, totaling ₦172.7 million, have plunged the rural communities into economic despair, forcing residents to abandon their homes in search of safety from potential violent reprisals for non-payment.

According to Makama, the inability to meet these demands often leads to brutal attacks, leaving residents with no option but to flee.

“Many villages are now deserted, with once-thriving communities reduced to ghost settlements. Hundreds of people have abandoned their homes, farmlands, and livelihoods, plunging deeper into poverty and uncertainty.

“The situation is dire,” one local source revealed. “Those who cannot pay face severe consequences, which has forced entire communities to seek refuge elsewhere.”

“While there have been improvements in security along the Funtua-Tsafe axis and in Tsafe town, rural areas like Tsafe West remain vulnerable”, Makama noted.

Residents are appealing for urgent government intervention, including increased deployment of security personnel and the establishment of permanent posts in affected areas.

Makama also mentioned that the displaced villagers are also in desperate need of emergency relief, including food, shelter, and medical assistance.