Stolen by Deception: Inside NAPTIP’s Rescue of Over 180 Trafficked Children

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued over 180 children trafficked across five states in Nigeria. The disturbing trend behind these abductions involves suspected criminal networks taking advantage of families who are already displaced due to violence and hardship. These groups offer assistance, promising education and a better future, only to kidnap the children and profit off them.

One father from Kajuru in Kaduna State had lost hope when his three-year-old son was abducted three years ago. The boy was among 180 children rescued by NAPTIP, found in a private building in Onitsha, Anambra State. The father recounted how his son was taken away after being promised education, unaware that they were being deceived by those posing as an NGO. The father's reunion with his son was a mix of joy and sadness, as the child appeared unhappy and was being used as house help.

NAPTIP's Special Squad, established to fight child trafficking, had already recovered children from Benue and Nasarawa States. Some of the rescued children were reportedly sold to individuals under the guise of adoption after payment of substantial sums of money. One troubling discovery was a child taken from the care of a clinical staff member at the Federal Medical Centre in Onitsha. The nurse claimed she obtained the child from an orphanage in Abuja in 2023 after paying N771,000.

The NAPTIP Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, OON, has been working to address the issue, and their efforts have led to the rescue of over 180 children. The agency's investigations reveal a disturbing pattern of exploiting vulnerable families, using promises of help and a better life to lure children into trafficking networks. This highlights the need for stricter scrutiny of child-care and adoption processes to prevent such exploitation.