NAPTIP Rescues Over 180 Trafficked Children, Arrests Nurse Over Alleged Child Purchase
By Peace Erewunmi
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued more than 180 children allegedly trafficked from five states across Nigeria.
The agency said the children were allegedly taken by criminal groups operating under the guise of civil society and humanitarian organisations, with some of the suspects reportedly using educational support and back-to-school programmes to gain the trust of vulnerable families.
NAPTIP disclosed that its latest operations led to the recovery of three children allegedly taken from a distressed family in Kajuru, Kaduna State. The children were reportedly found in a high-rise private building in a highbrow area of Onitsha, Anambra State.
Another child was recovered from the custody of a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Onitsha.
According to NAPTIP, the nurse allegedly told investigators that she obtained the child from an orphanage in Abuja in 2023 after paying N771,000.
The agency said the development formed part of a wider investigation into suspected trafficking networks allegedly exploiting families affected by insecurity and displacement.
NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, expressed concern over criminal elements allegedly using the identity of legitimate civil society organisations to facilitate child trafficking.
She called on the umbrella body of civil society organisations in Nigeria to conduct an internal review of its membership and identify individuals allegedly using humanitarian activities as a cover for criminal operations.
The agency said a special squad established within its Investigation and Monitoring Department has been working to trace missing children, rescue victims and bring those responsible to justice.
NAPTIP also urged parents and guardians, particularly those in crisis-affected communities, to exercise caution when individuals or organisations offer to take custody of their children for educational or welfare purposes.
Investigations into the alleged trafficking network and the circumstances surrounding the recovered children are ongoing.
