The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has rescued several children from an orphanage in Kagini, Bwari Area Council, following concerns over their welfare and alleged irregularities in adoption practices.
The development was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday by the National Television Authority, which said the operation was carried out by the FCT Department of Child Development in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), as well as other security and social welfare agencies.
According to the statement, the rescue was part of intensified efforts by the FCTA to protect vulnerable children and monitor adoption processes within the territory, with some of the affected children reportedly brought into the FCT from Benue State.
It said some of the rescued children had been identified and placed in protective custody, while arrangements were being made for their safety, medical attention and psychological support.
The statement noted that the intervention followed weeks of discreet investigations by the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, led by the Director of Child Development, Dr Idris Attah, over concerns about the operations of the orphanage and the welfare of children under its care.
It further revealed that the proprietress of the orphanage fled the facility hours before the arrival of officials, raising suspicion that her disappearance was connected to the ongoing investigation and possible violations of child protection and adoption laws.
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The FCTA reiterated its commitment to enforcing the Child Rights Act and sanitising the adoption process, warning that individuals found culpable would be prosecuted.
Investigations are ongoing as security agencies intensify efforts to locate the fleeing suspect and determine the full scope of the orphanage’s activities.
The statement recalled that in 2025, NAPTIP rescued eight children suspected to have been trafficked from northern states to the south during a raid on an orphanage in Asaba, Delta State, following complaints from parents in Kano and neighbouring states over missing children.