The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has dismantled a suspected child trafficking syndicate allegedly operating under the cover of an orphanage in the Saburi area of Abuja, rescuing 21 children in the process.

Police spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh said the operation followed a detailed petition submitted by concerned residents of Saburi to the Office of the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, alerting authorities to unusual movements and activities around the facility.

Acting on the petition, detectives launched a discreet investigation that, according to the police, exposed a network that preyed on vulnerable families in rural communities across several states. Investigators found that the operators allegedly approached indigent parents with promises of free education, better living conditions and brighter prospects for their children in the city.

Instead of the promised care, the children were allegedly processed through the so-called orphanage and trafficked to buyers in different parts of the country. The facility, presented to the public as a charitable home for the needy, is now at the centre of a widening criminal probe.

Adeh disclosed that 21 of an estimated 46 children believed to have passed through the illegal operation have so far been traced and rescued. The children are currently in protective custody and undergoing profiling, medical checks and psychosocial support as authorities work to confirm their identities and locate their biological parents.

Police say efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining children and to identify and arrest every individual linked to the scheme, including recruiters, transporters and alleged buyers. The command has not yet released the identities of the suspects so as not to compromise the investigation.

The case has reignited concern over the exploitation of poverty-stricken families by traffickers who disguise their operations as humanitarian or faith-based initiatives. Security officials are also examining whether the syndicate has connections to wider trafficking networks within and outside the FCT.

Adeh urged parents and guardians to be wary of unsolicited offers of sponsorship or relocation for their children, stressing that genuine welfare and educational programmes can be verified through relevant government agencies and recognised organisations.