Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons rescued no fewer than 26 trafficked children at an orphanage home in Benue state.
This is contained in a statement by NAPTIP Press Officer in Abuja on Sunday, Mr. Vincent Adekoye.
One of the suspects, a 60-year-old man (name witheld), is the founder of an internationally recognised Civil Society Organisation, National Council of Child’s Right Advocates of Nigeria (NACRAN), based in Benue.
Mr. Adekoye stated that the suspect was in connection with an alleged large-scale case of child trafficking, child sale, and illegal adoption.
Adekoye further said that another 34-year-old female accomplice was equally arrested.
In a related development, he said two other orphanage operators in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State, and some allegedly trafficked children were recovered.
”The breakthrough operations led by operatives of the agency for the suspects arrested in Markudi was carried out by the state command of the agency.
”The Markudi operation, NAPTIP rescued 26 children, out of the over 300 children suspected to have been trafficked and sold to different persons within Benue, Enugu, Lagos, Nasarawa, and Abuja.
Adekoye also stated that investigation is ongoing to trace the circumstances surrounding the 274 others, and to unravel the full extent of the syndicate’s activities.
According to him, this sad development is coming barely a few weeks after the Director-General of NAPTIP, Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, expressed concern over the unwholesome activities of some operators of orphanages in Nigeria.
He said, the latest operation by the agency is a continuation of the renewed crackdown on orphanages and Care Homes across the Country which was ordered by the director-general of NAPTIP.
He also added that this action followed series of reported cases of alleged infractions and illegal activities by the operators of the Orphanages homes in the country.
The press officer, stated that the agency was also prompted by a report lodged by a man, reporting that his four-year-old son was given out by his mother-in-law to an NGO without his consent.
He said that the petition lead to the arrest of several others, and uncovering of a wider network involved in trafficking and illegal adoption of children.
For him, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects feasted on the vulnerability of the rural communities in Benue through a voodoo initiative called: “Back to School Project” to recruit children from crisis-ridden communities in the state.
He said that the suspects organised meetings with villagers and traditional leaders, convincing them that the project would sponsor children’s education.
His words: “Parents were deceived into signing consent forms or verbally agreeing to release their children, with promises that they would see them again after three years.
“Over 300 children were reportedly handed over to the suspects. Some parents were unaware or did not sign any consent forms,.
“The children, aged between one and thirteen years, were transported to orphanage homes in Abuja and Nasarawa, where they were allegedly sold to interested couples under the guise of adoption, for amounts ranging from N1 million to N3 million per child.
“Some of the orphanages identified were used as holding centers where children awaited “adoption” or sale,” Adekoye said .
He said that four orphanage homes located at Kaigini, Kubuwa, Abuja; Masaka Area I, Mararaba, by Abaca Road; and Mararaba, behind the International Market, have been linked to the syndicate and are currently under investigation.
“One complainant alleged that he paid ₦2.8 million as an adoption fee and N100,000 consultancy fee to a member of the syndicate.
The identities of many of the rescued children have been changed, complicating tracing efforts, ” he said.
Reacting to the arrest, Adamu-Bello, described the situation as unbelievable and mind-bugling.
“Arising from the case at hand, I wish to say that issues of child trafficking and adoption are becoming a national crisis that requires urgent attention from all relevant stakeholders.
“A few weeks ago, based on credible intelligence, I expressed concern and alerted the State Ministries of Women Affairs on the unpatriotic and illegal activities of some Orphanage Operators across the Country.
“It is painful that some unpatriotic elements with recognised entities and status, now use their social class to deceive the already vulnerable people in the crisis-prone communities.
“These children are trafficked most of whom narrowly escape death in the wake of communal or farmer–herder clashes. They are sold to challenged parents in the name of adoption without the valid legal consent of the parents.
“This is unacceptable, and those already arrested in connection with this wicked act shall be made to face the full wrath of the law.
“Our children are not commodities to be displayed in Orphanages and sold at will to the highest bidders. This must stop,” Adamu-Bello said.
