Niger State Police Detain Suspected Child Trafficker, Recover Infant

The Niger State Police Command has detained a suspected child trafficker, Lami Bako, and recovered a two-month-old baby. Command spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun made this known in a statement dated 25 September 2026. Abiodun said the 35-year-old suspect was intercepted near Kainji Junction on 20 September while carrying a crying infant. Under questioning, she admitted she was not the child's birth mother and said an unidentified woman had given the baby to her. The statement added that on 20/09/2026 at about 3:30 a.m., police officers assigned to Mokwa Div, during a routine patrol, stopped Lami Bako, 35, of Mokwa, around Kainji Junction with a crying two-month-old baby. The baby's cries drew suspicion, and the woman was taken to the police station, according to the statement. Following a detailed interrogation, the suspect acknowledged that she was not the biological mother of the child. She claimed that an unknown woman handed the baby to her for reasons that have not yet been determined. She remains in custody while investigators look into the circumstances of her possession of the baby and try to identify other people involved. Police are also working to locate the baby's mother and reunite them. The matter has been referred to SCID for additional investigation.