The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued eight children suspected to have been stolen from Kano and other northern states and trafficked to the South.
The children were recovered during a raid on a popular orphanage in Asaba, Delta State, allegedly linked to a wanted inter-state child trafficking syndicate.
NAPTIP spokesperson, Vincent Adekoye, said the operation was intelligence-driven and carried out in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police, Kano State Government, civil society groups, and concerned parents.
According to Adekoye, syndicates had for years targeted children aged 2 to 10 in northern communities, luring them away under the guise of traders before trafficking them to other parts of the country. He recalled that parents and civil society groups had raised alarms as far back as 2017, with over 25 children reportedly trafficked in 2022, prompting petitions to NAPTIP.
Although a similar operation in Awka, Anambra State, was unsuccessful, eight children were identified among more than 70 minors found at the Asaba orphanage, including 15 newborns. They have since been reunited with their families in Kano.
NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Bello, condemned the role of some orphanages in child trafficking, describing them as “havens for stolen children.” She questioned the legitimacy of facilities housing unusually high numbers of minors and vowed stricter oversight.
“The rescued children were identified by their parents from Kano. We are deeply concerned about the activities of so-called orphanages and care homes,” Bello said, urging state ministries of women affairs to intensify monitoring of such centres nationwide.
She commended the DSS, Police, and other partners for their collaboration, stressing that NAPTIP remains committed to combating child trafficking and ensuring justice for victims.
