NAPTIP busts child trafficking ring, rescues 8 stolen children

By Evelyn Usman

Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking successful Persons, NAPTIP person rescued 8 children suspected to person been stolen from Kano and different bluish states and trafficked to the South–South and South–East regions by a notorious interstate kid trafficking syndicate.

The rescued children, aged betwixt 2 and 10 years, were reportedly recovered successful a privately owned orphanage tally by a apical enforcement of the Association of Orphanage Operators successful Nigeria.

Over 70 children, including 15 newborns, were discovered astatine the facility, according to NAPTIP. However, it confirmed that lone 8 were identified arsenic missing children from Kano.

The operation, described arsenic “intelligence-driven,” was carried retired with the enactment of the Department of State Services (DSS), Anambra State Command; the Nigeria Police, Delta Command; and the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, with the progressive engagement of civilian nine organisations and distressed parents.

Speaking connected the operation, the Director General of NAPTIP, Dr. Binta Bello, decried what she described arsenic the “unwholesome activities” of immoderate orphanages successful the country. She said the breakthrough followed years of lamentations by parents successful Kano and neighbouring states, who, arsenic acold backmost arsenic 2017, had raised alarm implicit syndicates luring children betwixt the ages of 2 and 10 from schools, markets and neighbourhoods.

She recalled that successful December 2022, a Kano-based NGO, Protection Against the Abduction and Missing of Our Children (PATAMOOC), petitioned NAPTIP connected behalf of much than 200 affected parents.

The petition by the NGO work successful part:“We, the parents, are successful superior pain. Some of america are already hospitalised, portion others person passed distant owed to the daze of losing our children and the continuous uncertainty of waiting regular for quality — whether they volition beryllium recovered dormant oregon alive.”

According to Bello, “It was this outcry that acceptable disconnected discreet investigations, starring to the coordinated raids successful Anambra and Delta. While the Anambra cognition was thwarted arsenic the children were moved overnight, the Asaba raid yielded results. Reports showed that much than 70 children, including 15 newborns, were crammed into the orphanage. Out of this number, 8 were positively identified arsenic missing from Kano and were instantly rescued.”

She continued: “The cognition successful question was carried retired with precision, and it was purely intelligence-driven with the engagement of our partners, including DSS, Police, and different members of the quality community. It was a fallout of the persistent outcry of distressed parents successful Kano and different bluish states.”

On the disturbing find successful Asaba, Bello noted:“NAPTIP is earnestly disquieted implicit the activities of these so–called orphanages and attraction homes. Imagine implicit 70 children wrong 1 orphanage, the fig expanding daily. The large question is, wherever are these children from?”

She besides criticised the orphanage relation for refusing to honour invitations:“The proprietor of the Home has been moving from pillar to post, penning to assorted authorities organs, alternatively than submitting himself for probe astatine our Kano Zonal Command. Instead, helium is engaged spreading implicit falsehood connected societal media. That volition not distract america from carrying retired our mandate.”

Bello further disclosed that the rescued children person been taken to Kano and reunited with their families.

While appealing to authorities ministries of women affairs nationwide to intensify oversight of orphanages, she assured that NAPTIP would proceed to enforce the Trafficking successful Persons (Control of Activities of Organisations and Centres) Regulations 2019, adding that “This cognition underscores our committedness to combat the merchantability and trafficking of persons, support susceptible children, and guarantee justness successful enactment with the law.”

The station NAPTIP busts kid trafficking ring, rescues 8 stolen children appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.