NAPTIP Rescues 8 Trafficked Children from Orphanage in Delta

September 17, 2025 OLAOLUWA AYOMIDE

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued eight children believed to have been abducted from northern Nigeria and trafficked to the South.

The operation, carried out in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police, and local civil society groups, followed a raid on a well-known orphanage in Asaba, Delta State.

Years of Complaints From Parents

According to NAPTIP’s spokesperson, Vincent Adekoye, the intervention came after years of complaints by parents in Kano and neighboring states about the disappearance of young children. Investigations revealed that trafficking syndicates, often posing as traders, targeted children between the ages of two and ten.

“These syndicates usually operate in two ways. Some settle temporarily in communities to gain the trust of children before vanishing with them, while others linger around motor parks and terminals, luring unaccompanied children on errands or on their way to school,” Adekoye explained.

Orphanage Raid in Asaba

During the raid in Asaba, over 70 children were found at the orphanage, including about 15 newborns. Only eight, however, were positively identified as victims abducted from Kano State. They have since been reunited with their families, NAPTIP confirmed.

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NAPTIP’s Director General, Binta Bello, expressed deep concern over the alarming situation. “Imagine over 70 children in a single orphanage, with their numbers increasing daily. The question is: where are all these children coming from?” she queried.

Long Trail of Child Trafficking Cases

This is not the first time such syndicates have been uncovered. In 2022, more than 25 children were reportedly trafficked out of Kano and nearby states, sparking widespread outrage. An NGO, Protection Against the Abduction and Missing of Our Children, petitioned NAPTIP at the time, lamenting the pain of parents who had lost their children and calling for urgent government intervention.

Many families, the group noted, had suffered trauma, with some parents hospitalized and others passing away from the shock and uncertainty of their children’s disappearance.

Wider Investigations Across States

NAPTIP revealed that intelligence-led operations were carried out in both Anambra and Delta States. While the attempt in Awka, Anambra, was unsuccessful due to the traffickers moving the children overnight, the Asaba raid yielded the rescue of eight victims.

The children were identified by representatives of their families’ using photographs and physical features.

Questions Over Orphanage Operators

Bello also criticized the management of the orphanage, accusing its operator of spreading misinformation on social media rather than cooperating with investigators. She clarified that only the wife of the operator was present during the raid and was not arrested, as she was not the subject of the investigation.

Call for Stronger Oversight

In recent years, orphanages in Nigeria have come under heightened scrutiny, with several investigations linking some facilities to illegal child trafficking and even the sale of babies. Calls for stricter regulation of children’s homes have intensified following exposés by journalists and activists.

Bello commended the DSS, police, and civil society partners for their role in the operation, stressing that the agency remains committed to dismantling trafficking networks, protecting children, and bringing perpetrators to justice.