The children, who cannot identify their original locations, are being provided with psychological counseling, food, medical care, and rehabilitation under government support

By Titilope Adako

Kaduna State, Nigeria | April 13 2925

The Kaduna State Government has successfully rescued 13 children who were allegedly sold to child traffickers outside the state.

Hajiya Rabi Salisu, the Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, revealed that the children were initially taken to Abuja before being transported to Enugu by a trafficking syndicate.

Some members of the gang remain at large, with investigations ongoing.

Salisu shared that one of the children was abducted when only seven days old and is now seven years old.

The children, who cannot identify their original locations, are being provided with psychological counseling, food, medical care, and rehabilitation under government support.

“One of the abducted children was stolen when the child was seven days old, and now, the child is 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.

“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,” she added.

She also mentioned that all the recovered children had their names changed.

“All of them have had their names changed from Hausa to other names.”

The government is working hard to reunite the children with their families.

“Those brought to Kaduna are under the special intervention and emergency support of the government under the ministry’s facility to provide psychosocial counseling and support, food, medical care and rehabilitation.”

“Upon review of the situation in one of the scenarios after the arrests made, on 24th March, 2025, the ministry received 11 children from the office of the state Commissioner of Police and from Abuja,” Salisu further explained.

Five members of the gang have been apprehended, and they revealed that the gang’s leader operates an orphanage in Abuja, using it as a cover to shelter and sell stolen children to buyers in the eastern part of the country.

Salisu commented, “She uses her orphanage as temporary shelter for the stolen children and negotiates for their sale to prospective buyers in the eastern part of the country.”

Salisu described the situation as alarming: “This evil act is so alarming that all the children found and brought back have lost their identity, so much so that they cannot remember their original homes.”

Seven of the children were received on April 9, 2025, from the State Commissioner of Police’s office, while six others were returned from Birnin-Kebbi after being sold to a woman in Calabar, whose identity is concealed as the case is still under investigation in Kebbi.

Salisu urged parents whose children have gone missing to come forward with proof of birth and other necessary information to help in reuniting them.

She also advised parents to be vigilant, provide proper upbringing, and protect their children against all forms of abuse, violence, and exploitation.

Ali Adamu, whose daughter, Maryam, was abducted on February 13, 2025, in Kogi State, expressed his gratitude: “He called on parents to be watchful over their children so that they do not go through the trauma of losing them.”

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