NAPTIP Rescues 180 Trafficked Children, Arrests FMC Onitsha Nurse Over Alleged Child Trafficking
1st September, 2026 | News
NAPTIP Rescues Over 180 Trafficked Children, Arrests Nurse in Anambra
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued more than 180 children allegedly trafficked from five states, while uncovering suspected trafficking networks operating under the cover of civil society and humanitarian organisations.
The agency also arrested a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Onitsha, Anambra State, who was allegedly found with one of the rescued children.
According to NAPTIP spokesman Vincent Adekoye, the latest operation led to the recovery of three children who were allegedly taken from vulnerable families in Kajuru, Kaduna State, and transported to a private building in a high-profile area of Onitsha. Another child was recovered from the custody of the arrested nurse.
NAPTIP Director-General Binta Bello expressed concern over the alleged involvement of individuals posing as members of civil society organisations. She said suspected traffickers were targeting communities affected by insecurity, offering parents educational and welfare assistance for their children before allegedly trafficking them to urban centres.
The agency has called on civil society organisations to investigate their ranks and expose individuals involved in criminal activities.
One father whose three-year-old son was allegedly taken from Kajuru three years ago said he had lost hope of ever seeing the child again. He later recognised his now six-year-old son in a photograph posted by NAPTIP and was eventually reunited with him.
The father expressed both joy and sadness, saying the boy appeared unhappy and unkempt and may have been subjected to domestic labour.
In a separate case, the nurse reportedly told investigators that she obtained the child from an orphanage in Abuja in 2023 and allegedly paid ₦771,000 for the child.
NAPTIP said the case forms part of a wider investigation into suspected networks allegedly moving children from vulnerable families to orphanages before selling them to individuals under the guise of adoption.
The agency said its Special Squad, established to investigate reports of missing and trafficked children, is continuing efforts to identify those involved and bring suspected offenders to justice.