Asaba: The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has announced the rescue of eight children suspected to have been stolen and kept at a private orphanage in Asaba, Delta State. This operation was conducted with the support of the Department of State Services (DSS), Anambra State Command, the Nigerian Police Force, Delta State Command, the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, and civil society organizations based in Kano. The orphanage is reportedly run by a senior official who is a member of the executive committee of the Association of Orphanage Operators in Nigeria. Investigations revealed the children were trafficked from Kano and other northern states by an inter-state child trafficking syndicate.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the syndicate operated in two groups: one builds trust within communities and abducts children, while the other targets unaccompanied minors at parks, motor terminals, or while running errands. Concerns about such activities were raised by parents as far back as 2017. In 2022, trafficking escalated with more than 25 children reportedly abducted from the region, sparking public outrage and prompting civil society groups to demand urgent action from relevant authorities. A group called Protection Against The Abduction and Missing of Our Children (PATAMOOC) submitted a petition to NAPTIP on December 15, 2022, urging the rescue of missing Kano children.
NAPTIP then launched a discreet investigation to trace the children’s whereabouts. Intelligence-driven operations followed in Anambra and Delta States, though the operation in Awka failed as the syndicate moved the children overnight. However, the Asaba operation uncovered more than 70 children at the privately-run orphanage, including 15 newborn babies. Out of these, eight were identified as those allegedly stolen from Kano State.
Reacting to the rescue, NAPTIP Director-General Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello condemned orphanages that served as safe havens for trafficked children, emphasizing the alarming number of minors found in a single facility. She confirmed that the children were identified and reunited with their families. Adamu-Bello expressed concerns about the activities of these orphanages and care homes, highlighting that seventy children found in one facility was a significant issue. She also revealed that the orphanage owner had been evading investigation and spreading falsehoods about NAPTIP on social media instead of cooperating with authorities.
Adamu-Bello stated that the children have been handed over to the appropriate authorities in Kano State and urged State Ministries of Women Affairs to intensify oversight of orphanages and care homes, many of which are rapidly increasing in number.