Officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have rescued eight children from an orphanage in Asaba, Delta State, after they were allegedly abducted from Kano between 2017 and 2022.
Among the children discovered in the Asaba orphanage were 70 minors, including newborns, during a joint operation carried out by NAPTIP in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police, the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, civil society groups, and concerned parents, the agency disclosed yesterday.
According to a statement by NAPTIP’s Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, the raid followed petitions from parents in Kano who alleged that their children, mostly between the ages of two and ten, had been abducted and taken to different parts of the country.
“Some parents had previously reported cases dating back to 2017, with another wave of suspected trafficking reported in 2022.
“During the operation, more than 70 children, including newborns, were found in the orphanage, but only eight were confirmed to have been taken from Kano. They have since been reunited with their families,” said Adekoye.
He noted that NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, expressed concern over the development, describing the discovery as troubling and cautioning that certain orphanages across the country are being used as safe havens for trafficked children. She called on state ministries of women affairs to strengthen monitoring and regulation of such institutions to prevent further abuses.
Bello further applauded the efforts of the DSS, police, and other partners who assisted in the rescue mission. She reaffirmed NAPTIP’s commitment to safeguarding children from exploitation and ensuring that perpetrators of trafficking and abduction face the full weight of the law.
