The Niger State Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued six victims of child trafficking, including a set of twin babies, in a significant crackdown on human trafficking in the state.
The State Commander, Mr Emmanuel Awhen, made this known on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, while reuniting some of the rescued children with their parents at the agency’s office in Minna.
He explained that the case involving the twins began after their mother reported that a staff member of the Social Welfare Department in Bida had taken the newborns a day after delivery, claiming the government would support their upbringing.
Investigations later revealed that the babies were sold through a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre in Bida to buyers in Lagos and Anambra states. The twins were eventually recovered and reunited with their biological mother on December 18, 2025, in the presence of the Niger State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Hadiza Idris-Kuta.
Further inquiries uncovered a similar case involving the same suspects, who allegedly deceived a beggar in Bida by posing as government officials offering help with raising and educating her children. In the process, four children were taken—two were kept as domestic helpers, while the other two were sold through the same nurse and her associate to individuals in Abia and Anambra states.
Awhen added that the two children kept by the suspects were later returned to their parents during the investigation.
He disclosed that seven suspects, including a staff member of the Bida Local Government Council’s Social Welfare Department, have been arrested in connection with the incidents.
The NAPTIP commander commended the Niger State Government, particularly the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, for its support and collaboration. He also praised the commissioner and permanent secretary for their commitment to combating human trafficking and protecting vulnerable children.
Awhen further acknowledged the contributions of other security agencies, especially the anti-human trafficking unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, for their role in the rescue and investigation efforts.
