The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued eight children suspected to have been abducted from Kano and neighbouring northern states and trafficked to the South.
The children were freed during a joint operation with the Department of State Services, the police, and civil society groups at a popular orphanage in Asaba, Delta State capital.
NAPTIP’s spokesperson, Vincent Adekoye, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday, noting that over 70 children—including newborns—were found in the facility, though only eight were identified as those stolen from Kano.
According to Adekoye, the operation followed years of complaints from parents in northern states about syndicates luring children—mostly between ages two and 10—under the guise of traders, before disappearing with them.
“While one syndicate lives briefly in a community, befriends the children, and later vanishes with them, others operate from parks and terminals, luring unaccompanied children on their way to school or errands,” the statement said.
The rescued children were identified through photographs and distinctive features by representatives of the affected parents from Kano and have since been reunited with their families.
NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Bello, expressed concern over the rising number of children hidden in orphanages across the country.
“Imagine over 70 children in a single orphanage, with the number increasing daily. The big question is, where are these children from?” she queried.
She accused the orphanage operator of evading investigation and resorting to social media falsehoods, adding that operatives had informed his wife of the allegations and left contact details for him to report to NAPTIP.
Bello further urged state ministries of women affairs to intensify oversight of orphanages and care homes, stressing that the agency would not relent in enforcing the Trafficking in Persons (Control of Activities of Organisations and Centres) Regulations 2019.
The agency noted that child kidnapping cases peaked in 2022, when over 25 minors were allegedly trafficked out of the North by the same syndicates, sparking petitions from advocacy groups and grieving parents.
Read Also: https://fusionchronicles.ng/reno-omokri-survives-train-crash-abroad-reignites-political-debate/
Commending the DSS, police, and civil society partners for their collaboration, Bello reiterated NAPTIP’s commitment to tackling child trafficking, safeguarding vulnerable children, and bringing perpetrators to justice.
