The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has uncovered a large-scale child-trafficking syndicate operating from Benue State and arrested a 60-year-old woman, who is a prominent orphanage owner and founder of a well-known non-governmental organization, alongside three others.
National Press Officer, NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye in a statement on Sunday stated that the suspects were linked to the sale and illegal adoption of children across several states, with victims allegedly sold for amounts ranging between ₦1 million and ₦3 million each.
He explained that in a major sting operation coordinated by NAPTIP’s Makurdi Command, 26 children were rescued, while more than 274 others are still being traced.
Investigators believe over 300 children may have been trafficked and sold to individuals in Benue, Enugu, Lagos, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“Those arrested include a 34-year-old female accomplice and two orphanage operators based in Abuja and Nasarawa State, where some of the trafficked children were recovered.
“The operation followed weeks of surveillance and intelligence-gathering ordered by NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Bello, after multiple reports of suspicious activities among some orphanage operators nationwide,” it stated.
According to the agency, the syndicate lured families from crisis-ridden communities in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, particularly Daudu, Yelwata, and Ngban, through a deceptive programme called the “Back to School Project.”
The suspects allegedly held meetings with villagers and traditional leaders, promising to sponsor the children’s education.
Parents were tricked into signing fake consent forms or giving verbal approval to release their children, believing they would be returned after three years.
Investigations revealed that the children, aged between one and 13 years, were taken to orphanage homes in Abuja and Nasarawa, where they were allegedly sold to prospective couples under the guise of adoption.
NAPTIP said some of the orphanages served as holding centres for the trafficked children, while negotiations for their adoption were concluded.
Four such facilities located at Kaigini, along the Kubwa Expressway, Abuja; Masaka Area 1, Mararaba; and behind the International Market in Mararaba have been sealed off and placed under investigation.
A complainant told investigators he paid ₦2.8 million as an adoption fee and another ₦100,000 as consultancy charges to one of the syndicate’s members.
The agency also disclosed that the identities of several rescued children had been altered, complicating efforts to reunite them with their biological families.
“The crackdown began after a man reported to NAPTIP on May 1, 2025, that his four-year-old son had been handed over to an NGO by his mother-in-law without his consent.
“When he demanded the return of his son, the NGO allegedly told him he could only see the child after three years — a claim that prompted the agency’s investigation,” the statement revealed.
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Reacting to the development, NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Bello, described the case as “unbelievable and mind-boggling,” vowing that those involved would face the full weight of the law.
“Issues of child trafficking and illegal adoption are becoming a national crisis,” she said.
“It is painful that some unpatriotic elements with recognized entities and social status use their platforms to deceive vulnerable families in crisis-prone areas and sell their children to wealthy couples under the guise of adoption.”
Bello added that the agency had earlier warned state ministries of women affairs to intensify monitoring of orphanages and care homes to curb such abuses.
“Our children are not commodities to be displayed in orphanages and sold at will to the highest bidders. This must stop,” she declared.
NAPTIP said investigations were still ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicate while efforts continue to trace and recover the remaining trafficked children.
