A child trafficking network operating under the guise of an orphanage was dismantled in Ogun State, Nigeria. The incident raises fresh concerns about the exploitation of children through fraudulent care institutions.
Police Public Relations Officer Oluseyi Babaseyi described the operation as “a significant victory in the state’s fight against human trafficking.” The operation resulted in the rescue of seven children and five prime suspects.
Illegal surrogacy and child trafficking network exposed
The investigation began in November 2025, after a woman reported the abduction of her six-year-old son, Samuel. Initial inquiries led to arrests and prosecutions. Thankfully, Samuel was located at the Gowon Police Station in Lagos State in January.
Samuel told officers he had been held at “Joyful Kids Orphanage in Badagry” and identified a woman known as “Madam Joy” as the operator. Acting on this intelligence, law enforcement officers conducted a coordinated raid on the facility, rescuing six additional children. As reported by The Sun:
The principal suspect, 35-year-old Joy Chiedozie (alias Madam Joy), was arrested on-site. She confessed to purchasing Samuel for N1.5 million—paying N900,000 in cash and N600,000 via bank transfer to a woman known as Kelly before reselling the child to a Mr. Emmanuel, who remains at large.
Authorities have since reunited Samuel with his mother. The remaining children are undergoing welfare assessments and family tracing. However, during the operation, authorities also discovered two 18-year-old pregnant women. According to the report,
The women confessed they were recruited to carry pregnancies with the intention of selling the newborns to pre-arranged buyers for N1.5 million per child.
The Ogun State Police Command has reiterated its “zero-tolerance policy regarding child exploitation and illegal adoption.” They confirmed that investigations are ongoing to apprehend additional suspects and dismantle the broader trafficking network.
Stop the commodification of children
This case exposes how traffickers put children at grave risk when they treat them as commodities and hide behind institutions that claim to provide legitimate care.
Traffickers commit orphanage trafficking when they place or keep children—whether they are orphans or not—in residential institutions to generate profit through adoption fees, donations, or other financial arrangements. Instead of prioritizing a child’s best interests, these operations prioritize revenue, often separating children from families and exposing them to neglect or abuse.
Freedom United stands firmly against the commodification of children in any form. That is why we are advocating to dismantle of the orphanage trafficking industry. You can join the movement by calling on Congress to amend the TVPRA and recognize orphanage trafficking as modern slavery. This critical gap in the TVPRA allows organizations and individuals—whether knowingly or unknowingly—to fund, promote, and participate in orphanage trafficking without consequences. It is time to close that loophole and demand that the TVPRA recognize orphanage trafficking as a form of modern slavery. Add your voice today.
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