NAPTIP Rescues 8 Kano Children From Asaba Orphanage
By PAULINA NZERUBE
THE National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued eight children, suspected to have been stolen from Kano State between 2017 and 2022, from an orphanage in Asaba, Delta State.
The operation, carried out in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, civil rights groups, and parents, followed petitions from families whose children had gone missing.
According to NAPTIP’s press officer, Vincent Adekoye, over 70 children, including newborns, were discovered in the facility, but only eight were confirmed to have been abducted from Kano. The rescued children have since been reunited with their families.
NAPTIP’s Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, described the case as disturbing, warning that some orphanages were being used as fronts for trafficking. She called on state ministries of women’s affairs to strengthen oversight of such facilities, stressing that child protection remains a top priority.
Bello commended the DSS, police, and other partners for their support, assuring that NAPTIP will continue to pursue justice for victims of child trafficking and abduction.
