Police Rescue Three Teenagers in Yola

Operatives of the Adamawa State Police Command have arrested two women over alleged child trafficking in Yola. Officers also rescued three teenage girls from what authorities described as an imminent relocation to Abuja. Police spokesman SP Suleiman Nguroje confirmed the operation on Wednesday. He said intelligence officers intercepted the minors at Adamawa Sunshine Motor Park on February 17, 2026. The girls, aged between 14 and 16, had allegedly been recruited under deceptive employment promises. Investigators identified the suspects as Hasiya Yuguda, 35, and Ummulkhairi Abubakar, 40. Authorities traced Yuguda to the NEPA area in Jimeta, Yola North. They located Abubakar in Wuro-Hausa, Yola South. Officers allege the women coordinated the teenagers’ movement toward the Federal Capital Territory.

Preliminary findings indicate the suspects promised domestic jobs in Abuja. However, police believe the arrangement masked a trafficking scheme. Consequently, operatives moved swiftly to prevent the girls’ transfer outside Adamawa State. Furthermore, investigators linked another suspect to the operation. Police identified him as Simon Boniface, 38, from Zing Local Government Area of Taraba State. He currently assists detectives as inquiries deepen.

The rescued teenagers now remain in protective custody. Meanwhile, officers have begun efforts to trace their families and establish parental contact. Authorities say safeguarding the victims remains their immediate priority. Significantly, Commissioner of Police Morris Dankwambo reaffirmed zero tolerance for child exploitation. He urged residents to report suspicious movements involving minors without delay. According to him, early reporting strengthens preventive policing. This development follows recent state efforts to reunite trafficked children with their families. Although government campaigns continue, trafficking networks still exploit economic hardship. Therefore, security agencies insist that community vigilance remains essential.

Above all, the case underscores the fragile intersection of poverty and vulnerability. Police believe timely intelligence prevented a potentially irreversible outcome. The Command has pledged to prosecute all culpable parties upon conclusion of investigations.