Siraji Sabiri, posing as a Christian charity leader in Uganda, was arrested following the abduction of 40 Christian children in Uganda. The children will reportedly sell to a militant rebel group called Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Congo.
Abduction of 40 Christian Children
A report from the Christian Post stated that on Thursday, Feb. 2, 40 Christian children were saved by police from a 27-year-old Muslim, Siraji Sabiri, who posed as a Christian charity leader. The children were attracted to a hotel with the promise of financial aid for their education. As mentioned, they were possibly preparing to sell them to a rebel organization active in the democratic republic of the Congo.
According to the information provided to a pastor in Arua, a Christian organization allegedly registered children for scholarships at a Luwero District school in central Uganda. The pastor, whose identity cannot be disclosed for security reasons, said that due to the offer of Sabiri, parents took advantage of the possibility of signing their children up for scholarships when it was presented to them.
However, the pastor got concerned when they learned that Sabiri brought many children from the church to Continental Hotel in Arua town in West Nile Sub-Region. As a result, the pastor called the authorities to ensure the safety of the children. Officers immediately headed to the hotel, where they located children aged five to sixteen. They discovered that Sabiri had booked the children on a bus bound for the democratic republic of the Congo. During the investigation, the police determined that the leader, Sabiri, was not a Christian but a Muslim.
"The man had disguised himself as a Christian, hence he was able to register over 40 children in the name of offering them bursaries, yet intending to sell them to the ADF [Allied Democratic Forces] in Congo," the pastor stated.
As per the Morning Star News, the city commissioner of Arua, Alice Akello, said she was shocked to see children as young as five years old at the hotel. Sabiri was questioned, and he answered that he was transporting the children to the Al-Rahman Islamic Primary and Secondary School in Bombo, located in the Luwero District. However, after a lengthy interrogation, the officials discovered that the school did not exist in Uganda. Akello issued orders for the recovery of the children and the arrest of Sabiri, who reportedly traveled approximately 475 kilometers (295 miles) to northwest Uganda from the Wakiso District to carry out the scheme.
Moreover, Salima Geriya, a Muslim woman of 28 years of age, was also arrested in association with the case. Along with Sabiri, she appeared in court in Arua and was remanded to prison. Charges were pending as police investigated for additional suspects.
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Child Trafficking
Based on an article from Save the Children, "child trafficking" refers to the exploitation of children, both girls, and boys, with the primary goals being sexual exploitation and forced labor. Children make up 27% of all victims of human trafficking around the globe, and girls make up the majority of child victims (two out of every three child victims).
The reality is that these trafficked and exploited children are held in slave-like conditions without adequate food, shelter, or clothing. Sometimes they are sold by a family member or an acquaintance; other times, they are lured by false promises of education and a "better" life. Regardless of the circumstances, the children are held in horrible conditions.
Police rescue 40 children kidnapped by Ugandan man posing as Christian charity leader https://t.co/rqMWK1I8i0
— The Christian Post (@ChristianPost) March 1, 2023
