Esther Salifu
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has called on the Delta State Government to launch a thorough investigation into the operations of Happy Home Orphanage over allegations of child trafficking.
NAPTIP’s Director-General, Dr. Binta L. Adamu Bello, made the call during a press briefing at the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja, where she confirmed that eight children allegedly trafficked from northern Nigeria were rescued during a June 2025 operation in Asaba.
According to Dr. Bello, the children were linked to a trafficking ring exposed in 2022 through a petition by the group Protection Against Abduction and Missing Children (PATAMOC). The suspects connected to the case are currently facing prosecution.
She dismissed reports that NAPTIP “abducted” children from the orphanage, insisting the rescue was lawful and carried out with the support of the Delta State Police Command.
“It was not an abduction as falsely claimed online. Our actions were guided strictly by the law,” she said.
One of the rescued children was later identified by a Kano-based woman as her missing daughter, Aisha Buhari, but had reportedly been returned to the orphanage before identification.
The development has since sparked public debate, with NAPTIP accusing the orphanage proprietor, Mr. Christopher Nwoye, of spreading misinformation and refusing to honour invitations for questioning.
“There has been a flood of misinformation online, largely influenced by the proprietor, who has instead resorted to blackmail and coordinated attacks on the Agency,” Dr. Bello said.
She explained that the children were relocated from a shelter in Kano to a secure NAPTIP facility due to competing claims from women in both Kano and Delta States, all identifying the children as theirs.
To resolve the disputes, NAPTIP has committed to conducting DNA tests and background checks to establish the true biological parents before any child is released.
“We are not against anyone making a claim, but they must come forward for lawful investigation. We will not release any child based on emotional appeals or social media noise,” Dr. Bello stressed.
Reaffirming the Agency’s mandate under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, she vowed that NAPTIP would not shield anyone found culpable, regardless of their status.
“Let it be known we will not spare anyone complicit in the trafficking of children,” she declared, assuring that the Agency remains focused on the welfare of the rescued children and will ensure justice is served.
