The PUNCH Newspaper’s two-part investigative report uncovering a child pornography ring on X (formerly Twitter) has continued to spur strong reactions and action.
The exposé, which revealed how underage Nigerian boys were lured, groomed, and sexually exploited for profit, has prompted swift action from multiple government agencies and sparked a coordinated manhunt for the perpetrators.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NATIP), which is at the centre of Nigeria’s anti-trafficking and exploitation efforts, has launched a full-scale investigation, vowing to bring all culprits to justice.
Head of NAPTIP’s Cybercrime Response Team, Mr Titus Ngamariju, told Sunday PUNCH that the agency had already begun tracking the individual (s) behind the now-suspended X account.
“It’s too late for whoever is behind that account,” Ngamariju said. “We have launched an investigation, and the Director-General herself is personally interested in the case. He must be caught and brought to book.
“We will work sharply to make sure that man is nabbed and made to face the music for the crimes he has committed. The kids also need to be counselled, and we will work closely with the Ministry of Women Affairs to see how we can take care of their emotional and psychological welfare.”
Also reacting, Mr Tahir Hassan, Special Adviser to the Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, commended PUNCH for the depth and diligence of the investigative series, emphasising that it exemplified the role of journalism in safeguarding vulnerable populations.
“Thank you so much for your investigation. This is what journalism is all about, and I appreciate PUNCH for exposing this cybercrime ring exploiting these young boys.
“You have uncovered quite a lot, and I am particularly happy about the lengths you went to get the information on the criminal involved in the sale of these pornographic pictures and videos,” Hassan said.
He disclosed that NAPTIP was already collaborating with other key agencies to dismantle the network.
“We are doing a lot to end this menace. You know it is a relatively new trend. For this purpose, NAPTIP, INTERPOL, the Ministry of Justice, and EFCC, have established what we call the CyberCrime Joint Team.
“Last week, it was inaugurated by the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN). The membership was drawn from NAPTIP, Police, EFCC, and the Office of the National Security Adviser. It is a 15-member committee headed by the Solicitor-General of the Federation.
“We will go after this syndicate, I assure you. Let’s all put our hands together to stamp out these cybercrime offences on our Internet and keep our children safe,” he said.
Also weighing in on the investigation was the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, which pledged its commitment to the psychological recovery of the victims involved.
Spokesperson for the Ministry, Mr Jonathan Eze, said the Minister, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, was keenly following the case.
“The Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, is aware of this investigation and appreciates PUNCH for the discovery. She will follow up with NAPTIP to make sure the culprits are brought to book. As a former Director-General of NAPTIP, she is particularly interested in the welfare of the kids in question,” he said.
While noting that the ministry does not have prosecutorial powers, Eze said its mandate to develop policies for Nigerian women and children was being fully executed.
“The core thing we have done since we came on board in October 2024 was to take a second look at the Child Rights Act. The document has not been revised for 18 years, so the Minister set up a committee of technocrats, civil society organisations, and directors of the Ministry to sit down and review it to align with modern realities.
“The committee is working on it, and the outcome will be made known when they are done. Most times, we go beyond what our mandate asks us to do. We have done some empowerment for victims of domestic violence and child abuse. It is the duty of the state ministries of women affairs to take charge of cases of child abuse in their respective states,” he said.
According to Eze, the ministry is also particularly invested in ensuring that the boys featured in the exposé receive comprehensive rehabilitation.
“The Ministry is interested in the emotional welfare of the abused boys fingered in the PUNCH investigation and promises to follow up to make sure the children are rehabilitated and reoriented,” he assured.
The Nigeria Police Force also acknowledged the PUNCH report and promised prompt action.
The Personal Assistant to the Force Public Relations Officer, DSP A. A. Tana, in an emailed response, wrote, “Your report has been received and will be escalated appropriately for necessary and prompt action, please.”
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Film and Video Censors Board, Dr Shaibu Husseini, in a statement via email, commended the reporter for his persistence and boldness in exposing such a dangerous syndicate.
“We wish to extend our sincere appreciation and gratitude to you for your prompt action in reporting the nefarious activities of the syndicate that advertise for sale child sexual abuse material in blatant disregard of the laws of the land.
“We would like to assure you that the NFVCB has already contacted relevant cybercrime security agencies and forwarded the information, and would like to assure you that we will update you accordingly,” Husseini stated.
Sunday PUNCH had earlier reported that following the investigation, X, the platform where the explicit materials were being traded, took swift action by suspending the account permanently.
In a statement to PUNCH, the microblogging giant noted that it had a zero-tolerance policy for child sexual exploitation and would continue to improve its detection and enforcement mechanisms.
“We have permanently taken down the account flagged in your report. We do not tolerate any form of child sexual exploitation on X. We are strengthening our proactive measures to detect and remove such content and accounts across the platform,” part of the response read.
