NAPTIP Refutes Abduction Claims in Delta Rescue Mission

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has dismissed allegations that it carried out abductions during a rescue operation in Asaba, Delta State. The agency said the claims, circulating on social media, were false and aimed at shielding suspects from prosecution.

According to NAPTIP, the June 15, 2025 operation rescued eight children, including one identified as Aisha Buhari, from the Happy Home Orphanage in Asaba. The children were reportedly stolen from Kano, following a petition submitted in December 2022 by the Protection Act Against Abduction and Missing Children (PATAMOC).

The Director General, Binta Bello, said the mission was executed lawfully under the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Enforcement and Administration Act of 2015, with the support of the Delta State Police Command. She stressed that the agency rescues, not abducts, and is accountable for its actions.

Bello noted that although the orphanage proprietor was absent at the time of the operation, a profile of 70 children was carried out, leading to the identification of the rescued minors. She explained that arresting the proprietor’s wife would have created unnecessary complications.

The agency confirmed that the children were relocated to a secure facility pending DNA tests and further investigations. NAPTIP also called on the Delta State Government to investigate the orphanage’s operations, while urging claimants to cooperate with the agency rather than resorting to blackmail on social media.