NAPTIP urged to rescue four children trafficked to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has been urged to urgently investigate the alleged kidnapping and cross-border trafficking of four children from Kano and Gombe States to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.

A petition dated August 6, 2026, addressed to the NAPTIP Zonal Commander in Kano, said the children were allegedly abducted in Mokolo Iloni Farmasi (Iloni Pharmacy), Yaoundé, Cameroon, before being trafficked to Ebebiyin in Kié-Ntem Province of Equatorial Guinea, near the borders with Cameroon and Gabon.

According to the petition, two of the four children have been identified and recovered, while the whereabouts of the remaining two are still unknown.

The children listed in the petition are Abdulwahab Abubakar, 12, from Ubakarawa village, Tofai Ward, Gabasawa Local Government Area of Kano State; Maryam Shaaibu, 11, from Makwalla, Gamoji Ward, Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State; Ibrahim Abdullahi, 10, from Zugachi, Zugachi Ward, Gabasawa Local Government Area of Kano State; and Zainabu Umar, 10, whose village and local government were not stated.

The petition said Abdulwahab had reportedly been missing for about three years, while the other children had been missing for several years.

It alleged that a woman suspected of taking the children changed Abdulwahab’s name to Musa and cut Maryam’s hair, allegedly to alter their appearance and make identification more difficult.

The petition further alleged that the suspect sold two of the children in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, reportedly to a military officer.

It said the suspect, who was identified as a citizen of the Central African Republic, was later arrested in Ebebiyin while allegedly still in possession of the other two children.

The recovered children were reportedly identified as Nigerians from Kano State after they were able to speak Hausa and were recognised by members of the local Hausa community in Ebebiyin.

Following their identification, authorities in Ebebiyin reportedly arrested the woman and commenced legal proceedings against her before the Juvenile Guardianship Court, known as Juzgado de Tutela de Menores.

The petition said the suspect was subsequently remanded in prison pending the outcome of the legal process.

However, it said the recovery of two children had not resulted in their immediate reunion with their mothers, as the court ordered that they remain temporarily under the custody of the Sarkin Hausawa, or head of the Hausa community, in Ebebiyin.

The community leader was reportedly directed to care for the children and produce them before the court whenever required during the ongoing proceedings.

As a result, the children’s mothers were unable to return to Nigeria with them and reportedly left Ebebiyin for Mokolo, Yaoundé, Cameroon, without their children.

The petition said some of the children’s parents and caregivers currently reside in Mokolo, where they continue to seek assistance in locating their missing children.

It attributed the families’ presence in Cameroon to economic hardship and the search for better livelihood opportunities.

The petitioners asked NAPTIP to immediately launch a comprehensive investigation and work with the governments of Nigeria, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea through diplomatic and law enforcement channels.

They also urged the agency to trace and rescue the two missing children, facilitate their safe return to Nigeria and provide counselling, protection and other support services to the recovered children and their families.

The petition further called for all individuals allegedly connected to the trafficking network to be identified and prosecuted.

The petitioners said the case required urgent intervention because it involved alleged child kidnapping, trafficking and the cross-border sale of children.

They pledged to cooperate with NAPTIP and provide additional information or evidence that could assist the investigation.