The Kaduna State Government has successfully rescued 13 children who were allegedly trafficked by a syndicate operating across multiple regions of Nigeria. The rescue, which involved coordination between state authorities and law enforcement, revealed disturbing details about child trafficking networks stretching from Kaduna to Abuja, Enugu, Birnin Kebbi, and Calabar.
Addressing journalists on Saturday, the Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajiya Rabi Salisu, confirmed that the children had been taken from Kaduna to Abuja and later moved to Enugu. Among the victims was a child abducted at just seven days old, who is now seven years old.
“The children cannot identify their locations, but the authorities will do everything humanly possible to ensure that all the children are reunited with their family members,” Salisu said.
She noted that the traffickers deliberately altered the children’s identities to erase their origins. “All of them have their names changed from Hausa to other names,” she revealed. “Those brought to Kaduna are under special intervention at the ministry’s facility where they receive psychosocial counseling, nutritional food, medical care, and rehabilitation.”
According to the commissioner, the ministry first received 11 of the children from the Kaduna State Police Command on March 24, 2025, after arrests were made in connection to the trafficking ring. Investigations revealed that five gang members implicated a woman who runs an orphanage in Abuja, allegedly used as a front for trafficking.
“She uses her orphanage as a temporary shelter for the stolen children and negotiates for their sale to prospective buyers in the eastern part of the country,” Salisu disclosed. “This evil act is so alarming that all the children found and brought back have lost their identities so much that they can’t remember their original homes.”
On April 9, seven more children were handed over to the ministry, while six others trafficked to a woman identified as “Maman Salamatu” in Calabar were returned from Birnin Kebbi. Her full identity remains undisclosed due to the ongoing investigation.
Salisu urged parents of missing children to come forward with concrete evidence such as birth records and other relevant documentation to aid the reunification process. She also emphasized the need for vigilance and proper moral upbringing to protect children from exploitation.
“Parents must be vigilant, imbibe the culture of good parenting, and nurture their children with good moral upbringing to protect them against all forms of abuse, violence, and exploitation,” she said.
Ali Adamu, a father whose daughter, Maryam, was rescued after being abducted two months ago in Kogi State, expressed heartfelt gratitude. “I thank the ministry and all other government agencies for reuniting me with my daughter. I call on parents to be watchful over their children so they do not go through the trauma of losing a child,” he said.
Authorities continue to investigate the syndicate, and further arrests are expected.
