The Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have uncovered an alleged network involving the exploitation of vulnerable pregnant women, the illegal adoption of their children, and the trafficking of the children to other states for possible sale.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The investigation was triggered by a report alleging that some children were unlawfully taken and adopted by a staff member of Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital, identified as Maryam Dauda.

Preliminary findings suggest the children were sourced from young girls with unwanted pregnancies and moved out of Kano State without following legal adoption procedures or obtaining official approval.

NAPTIP subsequently escalated the matter to the Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs, prompting swift government intervention.

It was further alleged that the suspect facilitated illegal adoption processes and transferred the children to southern Nigeria for adoption outside lawful channels.

Authorities described the alleged actions as a violation of the children’s religious and cultural identity, as well as a breach of established adoption laws.

In response, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and Persons with Special Needs, Hajiya Amina Abdullahi Sani, took immediate action after receiving reports of the case involving two children allegedly taken from a young mother in the Kwana Hudu area of Kano State.

Following NAPTIP’s report, the commissioner led a delegation of senior ministry officials to the agency’s office to ensure proper legal procedures were followed in handling the case.

The two children at the centre of the allegations have since been handed over to NAPTIP, where investigations and consultations with relevant stakeholders are ongoing.

The ministry also raised concerns that some individuals may be taking advantage of vulnerable women to unlawfully obtain and relocate newborns for illegal adoption and possible trafficking.

Hajiya Amina condemned all forms of child trafficking, illegal adoption, abuse, and exploitation, describing them as criminal and unacceptable in Kano State.

She assured that the ministry, in collaboration with NAPTIP and other security agencies, would ensure strict enforcement of child protection laws and safeguard the rights and dignity of children.

The commissioner reaffirmed the commitment of the Kano State Government under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to protecting vulnerable children and residents.

She also urged the public to report suspicious activities related to child trafficking or abuse, while confirming that investigations are ongoing and anyone found guilty will face the full weight of the law.