NAPTIP rescues eight abducted children from Asaba orphanage

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued eight children allegedly abducted from Kano State and found in an orphanage in Asaba, Delta State.

The operation, carried out in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police, the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, civil society groups, and parents of missing children, uncovered over 70 minors, including newborns, in the facility.

According to NAPTIP spokesperson Vincent Adekoye, the raid followed petitions from Kano parents who reported that their children, aged between two and 10, were abducted between 2017 and 2022 and trafficked to other states.

“Although more than 70 children were discovered in the orphanage, only eight were confirmed to have been taken from Kano. They have now been reunited with their families,” Adekoye said.

NAPTIP Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, described the discovery as alarming, warning that some orphanages were being used as safe havens for trafficked children. She urged state ministries of women’s affairs to strengthen monitoring and enforcement in line with regulations.

Bello commended the DSS, police, and other partners for their role in the rescue, reaffirming NAPTIP’s commitment to child protection and justice in trafficking and abduction cases.