Kano Government and NAPTIP Uncover Child’s Adoption Chains

The Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have exposed a network of groups that allegedly entice vulnerable women with unwanted pregnancies, adopt their children, and then transport those children to other states for sale.

The investigation began after a report surfaced that a staff member of Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital, Maryam Dauda, had illegally taken and adopted children.

Preliminary findings suggest that the children were obtained from young girls facing unwanted pregnancies and were removed from Kano State without any legal process or authorization.

After the matter was reported to NAPTIP, the agency immediately informed the Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs, prompting urgent intervention.

It is further alleged that the suspect facilitated the illegal adoption and transferred the children to the southern part of Nigeria for adoption.

These actions are described as violations of the children’s religious and cultural identity and breaches of established legal adoption procedures.

Commissioner Amina Abdullahi Sani of the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and Persons with Special Needs has taken decisive action following the case involving two children reportedly taken from a young woman in the Kwana Hudu area of Kano State.

The case was brought to the ministry’s attention by NAPTIP after reports indicated that the children were illegally adopted by Maryam Dauda, a 45‑year‑old laboratory technician at Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital.

In response, Hajiya Amina Abdullahi Sani led a delegation of directors and senior officials from the ministry to NAPTIP’s office to ensure that appropriate legal steps were taken in the best interest of the affected children.

The two children were subsequently brought to NAPTIP, where extensive discussions and preliminary investigations began among relevant stakeholders and authorities.

The ministry also gathered allegations that some individuals exploit vulnerable young women with unwanted pregnancies by unlawfully collecting and transporting newborns outside Kano State for illegal adoption and possible trafficking.

The commissioner condemned all forms of child trafficking, illegal adoption, abuse, exploitation, and neglect, calling such acts inhumane, criminal, and unacceptable in Kano State.

She warned that the ministry, in partnership with NAPTIP and other security and child‑protection agencies, would not tolerate any individual or group engaging in activities that violate children’s rights, dignity, religious identity, and welfare.

Hajiya Amina reaffirmed the Kano State Government’s commitment, under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, to protect children and vulnerable persons throughout the state.

She urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities related to child trafficking, illegal adoption, abuse, or neglect to the appropriate authorities.

The commissioner assured the public that investigations are ongoing and that anyone found culpable will face the full weight of the law.