The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has dismantled a large child trafficking and illegal adoption network operating in Benue State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
According to NAPTIP’s spokesperson, Vincent Adekoye, 26 children were rescued while over 274 others are still being traced. More than 300 children were reportedly sold across several states for between ₦1 million and ₦3 million each.
A 60-year-old orphanage owner and founder of a prominent child rights NGO was arrested alongside three accomplices during a sting operation led by NAPTIP’s Makurdi Command. The suspects allegedly disguised their activities under a fake “Back to School Project,” deceiving families in Benue’s Guma Local Government Area into handing over their children for supposed educational sponsorship.
Investigations revealed that children, aged one to 13, were taken to orphanages in Abuja and Nasarawa, where they were sold to unsuspecting couples as part of fake adoptions. Some children’s identities were changed using forged documents from complicit officials. Four orphanages linked to the syndicate have been sealed pending further investigation.
The case began in May 2025 after a father petitioned NAPTIP, claiming his son was taken without consent. This complaint exposed the wider trafficking ring spanning Benue, Abuja, Nasarawa, Lagos, and Enugu.
NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Bello, condemned the operation as a “national crisis,” vowing that those involved would face justice. She urged stronger oversight of orphanages and warned against exploiting vulnerable families in conflict-prone areas.
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Nigeria remains one of Africa’s top five sources of trafficked children, with many victims funneled into forced labour or illegal adoption.
