The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has called on individuals claiming parentage of eight children recently rescued from a human trafficking cartel in Asaba, Delta State, to present themselves for lawful investigation rather than resorting to social media campaigns and misinformation.
Director-General of NAPTIP, Dr. Binta Bello, made the appeal during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, stressing that the agency remains committed to due process and the welfare of the affected children.
She explained that the June 2025 rescue operation in Asaba followed a 2022 petition by the Protection Against Abduction and Missing Children (PATAMOC), which triggered investigations by NAPTIP’s Kano Zonal Command. The probe led to the arrest of Hauwa Abubakar, who confessed to trafficking 21 children and selling them to a woman identified as Nkechi Odlyne. Odlyne, in turn, allegedly resold some of the children to Mr. Christopher Nwoye, proprietor of Happy Home Orphanage in Asaba.
Bello disclosed that Nwoye admitted his role and returned four children, while he, Abubakar, and Odlyne are currently facing trial at the Gombe State High Court. Three of the rescued children have since been reunited with their biological families in Gombe.
The NAPTIP boss clarified that the operation in Asaba was conducted lawfully with the support of the Delta State Police Command, dismissing online claims that the children were abducted. She noted that over 70 children at the orphanage were profiled, and eight were positively identified through photographs provided by PATAMOC.
Bello condemned attempts by Nwoye and others to discredit the agency, stating: “We are not against anyone making a claim over the children, but they must subject themselves to lawful investigation. No child will be released until DNA tests and all investigations are concluded.”
She further called on the Delta State Government to investigate Happy Home Orphanage over reports of alleged irregularities.
Reassuring the public, Bello said NAPTIP would prosecute all offenders and ensure the safe reunification of the children with their lawful families. “We remain focused on the children’s welfare and will continue to act in their best interests. The law will take its full course,” she affirmed.
