NAPTIP rescues 180 children allegedly trafficked by fake CSOs

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says its operatives have rescued more than 180 children allegedly trafficked from five states by criminal groups posing as members of civil society organisations (CSOs).

The agency said the suspects allegedly deceived parents in various communities by offering educational support and back-to-school programmes before taking the children away under false pretences.

The arrests followed concerns raised by Binta Adamu Bello, NAPTIP director-general (DG), over the activities of suspected trafficking syndicates targeting crisis-ridden communities.

Bello said the syndicates move from one distressed community to another, allegedly trafficking children under the guise of providing educational assistance.

According to the NAPTIP DG, the agency established a special squad within its investigation and monitoring department to recover trafficked children and ensure that those responsible are prosecuted.

Among the children rescued were three allegedly trafficked from a distressed parent in Kajuru, Kaduna, to Onitsha, Anambra state.

Another child was found in the care of a clinical staff member at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Onitsha.

The nurse, who was questioned on Tuesday, reportedly told NAPTIP that she obtained the child from a prominent orphanage in Abuja in 2023 after paying N771,000.

The agency said the name of the orphanage was withheld.

The first batch of children recovered by the special squad was allegedly taken from communities in Benue and Nasarawa states and moved to orphanages in Abuja and other states.

The NAPTIP DG said some of the children were allegedly sold to unidentified individuals under the guise of adoption after money changed hands.

Bello expressed concern over the alleged involvement of individuals posing as CSO members in child trafficking.

She said genuine CSOs had played important roles in humanitarian and anti-trafficking efforts but warned that criminal elements appeared to have infiltrated the sector.

“I am seriously disturbed by the activities of some persons masquerading as members of the civil society organisations, who have been fingered in several issues of child trafficking from across the country,” she said.

“I am confident that we have very committed members of the civil society organisations in Nigeria working in the humanitarian and counter-trafficking space.

“But it seems that they have been infiltrated by some criminal elements whose mission is to steal and traffic children for various forms of reasons.”

Bello said the agency would continue efforts to identify and dismantle the networks allegedly responsible for the trafficking and reunite rescued children with their families where possible.