NAPTIP clarifies Asaba operation, rescues 8 stolen children

By Favour Ulebor, Abuja

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking successful Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, has dismissed claims that its operatives abducted children during a June cognition successful Asaba, Delta State, insisting the ngo was a lawful rescue exercise.

Speaking astatine a media briefing connected Friday successful Abuja, Bello explained that the cognition led to the rescue of 8 children allegedly stolen from Kano State. She said misleading societal media reports had sought to misrepresent the involution arsenic abduction.

The case, she noted, began successful December 2022 erstwhile the Protection Against Abduction and Missing Children (PATAMOC) petitioned NAPTIP implicit rising kid abductions successful Kano. Investigations revealed that 1 Hauwa Abubakar of Gombe State, arrested by police, had sold 21 children to an associate, Nkechi Odlyne, who allegedly resold 7 of them to Christopher Ogugua Nwoye, proprietor of Happy Home Orphanage successful Asaba, astatine ₦450,000 each.

According to Bello, 4 of the recovered children were identified by their biologic parents successful Gombe and Kano, including 1 girl, Aisha Buhari, whose lawsuit had been wide circulated by PATAMOC. To rescue her, NAPTIP operatives, supported by the Delta State Police Command, conducted the Asaba cognition connected June 12, 2025.

“At the orphanage, implicit 70 children were profiled, and 8 were positively identified done photographs, including Aisha. No apprehension was made astatine the installation due to the fact that lone the proprietor’s woman was present,” Bello stated.

She added that Nwoye was aboriginal arrested successful Gombe, admitted to the crime, and returned 4 children. He, on with Abubakar and Odlyne, is presently facing proceedings astatine the Gombe State High Court. While the 2 women stay successful custody, Nwoye is retired connected bail.

The DG stressed that NAPTIP followed owed process, securing constabulary enactment up of the operation. She revealed that equipped officers accompanied the squad to guarantee order, dismissing allegations of foul play.

“The cognition was not an abduction arsenic the Agency does not prosecute successful specified condemnable acts but a lawful rescue nether the Trafficking successful Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015,” Bello clarified.

She said the rescued children stay successful NAPTIP protective custody, with DNA tests ongoing to corroborate parentage earlier reunification.

Bello besides urged the Delta State Government to analyse Happy Home Orphanage, noting reports of irregularities successful its operations.

“The Agency remains committed to expeditiously concluding investigations, prosecuting those recovered culpable, and reuniting the children with their lawful families,” she assured.

The station NAPTIP clarifies Asaba operation, rescues 8 stolen children appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.