NAPTIP Rescues 180 Trafficked Children, Arrests FMC Onitsha Nurse
Michael Olugbode in Abuja The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued more than 180 children allegedly trafficked from five states, uncovering a network of
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued over 180 children who were allegedly trafficked from five states, exposing a network of suspected criminal groups posing as civil society and humanitarian organisations. In addition, a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Onitsha, Anambra State, was arrested after being found in possession of one of the rescued children.
During a statement released on Monday by NAPTIP spokesman Vincent Adekoye, the agency recovered three children taken from distressed families in Kajuru, Kaduna State, and moved them to a private high-rise building in Onitsha. Another child was found at the Onitsha FMC, where the nurse's arrest occurred. NAPTIP Director General Binta Bello expressed her shock at the criminal activities involving individuals who misuse the identity and platforms of genuine organisations to traffic children.
She challenged civil society organisations to conduct an internal investigation and expose any criminal elements operating within their ranks.
Bello highlighted that the suspects often target communities affected by insecurity and crises, offering false promises of education and welfare support to lure parents. Once families release their children, the traffickers allegedly sell them for profit. She promised that those found guilty of the trafficking activities will face the full force of the law.
The agency has initiated a manhunt for suspects identified during their investigations, with further recoveries expected as they continue to dismantle the trafficking networks.
The father of one of the rescued children recounted how his three-year-old son was taken from Kajuru three years ago after gunmen invaded his community. Local people posing as an NGO approached the family to provide assistance during the displacement, convincing them to hand over their child for education in the city. The father has since lost contact with the people and was able to identify his son among the rescued children after seeing his photo on NAPTIP's Facebook page. Despite the mixed emotions, he is grateful for his son's safe return.
Another rescued child was discovered at the Onitsha FMC, where the nurse confessed to obtaining the child from an Abuja orphanage in 2023. NAPTIP claims that the nurse paid N771,000 for the child and was part of a larger network that transfers children between orphanages and private individuals under the guise of adoption. The recent rescues have bolstered NAPTIP's investigations into these alleged trafficking networks and shed light on the criminal elements allegedly exploiting humanitarian and civil society spaces for their illicit activities.
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