Owner of Controversial Delta Orphanage Surrenders to NAPTIP as Probe Deepens into Alleged Child Trafficking

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has confirmed that Christopher Nwoye, owner of the controversial Happy Home Orphanage in Asaba, Delta State, has turned himself in to the agency.

This was disclosed in a statement released on Thursday in Abuja by NAPTIP’s Press Officer, Mr. Vincent Adekoye.

The agency had earlier declared Nwoye wanted in statements issued on September 17 and 26, after he allegedly evaded arrest following reports that children rescued from his orphanage were victims of trafficking.

According to Adekoye, four women from Delta State who claimed to be mothers of some of the rescued children are currently being interrogated by investigators.

The News Agency of Nigeria earlier reported that Nwoye’s orphanage allegedly housed children stolen from Kano, Gombe, and other northern states.

During a June raid on the facility, NAPTIP operatives discovered more than 70 children, including 15 newborns. Eight of the infants were later traced to those reportedly stolen from northern Nigeria.

Confirming Nwoye’s surrender, NAPTIP Director-General, Hajiya Binta Adamu-Bello, said the suspect appeared at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, accompanied by his lawyer and several women.

“Mr. Nwoye has finally turned himself in after repeatedly ignoring invitations to report for questioning,” Adamu-Bello stated. “It is important to emphasize that NAPTIP’s rescue of the children from Happy Home Orphanage was lawful and carried out under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.”

She clarified that the operation was not an abduction, as alleged in some quarters, but a legitimate intervention to rescue children suspected of being trafficked or unlawfully adopted.

The NAPTIP boss further explained that all rescued children are currently in a protective shelter, receiving care and support while investigations continue. She assured that the agency is impartial and committed to uncovering the truth through thorough investigations, including DNA testing to establish true parentage.

Adamu-Bello also dismissed claims that the children were being coerced into adopting any religion, emphasizing that their rights and welfare remain the agency’s top priority.

She added that the four women asserting ownership of some of the children are also being interrogated after previously failing to respond to official invitations.

“The investigation will be comprehensive and conclusive,” she said, reaffirming NAPTIP’s resolve to ensure justice and accountability in the case.