Toba Owojaiye Reporting
Kano, Nigeria
In a landmark judgment that underscores Nigeria’s growing intolerance for crimes against children, a Kano State High Court has sentenced six individuals to a combined 120 years in prison for their roles in the abduction and trafficking of minors across state lines.
The convicts, Mercy Paul, Ebere Ogbono, Emmanuel Igwe, Loise Duru, Monica Oracha, and Chinelo Ifedigwe, were found guilty of being part of a notorious child trafficking ring that operated between Kano and Onitsha, targeting children under the age of ten. The court established that the syndicate abducted children from northern Nigeria and sold them into adoption rackets and servitude in the southeast.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Zuwaira Yusuf found the defendants guilty on multiple counts, including abduction, concealment of minors, aiding and abetting child trafficking, and unlawful transportation of children. All six received custodial sentences without the option of a fine.
> “This case reveals a grave threat to our children and the very foundation of our society. The judgment must serve as a strong deterrent to all those who believe they can traffic our future without consequence,” Justice Yusuf declared.
Mercy Paul, considered the most culpable among the six, was sentenced to 55 years in prison. Ebere Ogbono received 41 years, while Emmanuel Igwe and Chinelo Ifedigwe were each handed 9-year sentences. Loise Duru was sentenced to 6 years, and Monica Oracha to 5 years.
The sentences bring closure to a case that first broke in 2019, following a coordinated investigation by the Kano State Police Command and the Department of State Services (DSS). Acting on intelligence, security agents uncovered a syndicate that lured, abducted, and sold children across state borders. The children were reportedly given new names, converted to different faiths, and sold to unsuspecting or complicit adopters for sums ranging from ₦400,000 to ₦1 million.
In 2021, the alleged ringleader of the network, Paul Onwe, also known as “Daddy,” pleaded guilty to 38 charges and was sentenced to 104 years imprisonment. His conviction helped prosecutors build a watertight case against the remaining co-defendants, who had opted to contest the charges.
Throughout the years, the case drew nationwide outrage and dominated public discourse, especially following the release of emotionally harrowing testimonies from parents whose children were taken. Some victims were eventually rescued, but many remain unaccounted for, with efforts ongoing to trace their whereabouts.
In the wake of the scandal, both the National Assembly and several state legislatures introduced bills to tighten loopholes in Nigeria’s Child Rights Act. Civil society groups and religious leaders also launched campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of child trafficking, especially in vulnerable communities.
Despite the convictions, advocates insist that the government must go further.
> “This case is a wake-up call. Nigeria needs a national offender registry for child traffickers, tougher sentencing laws, and cross-border surveillance mechanisms,” said Dr. Halima Musa, Executive Director of Safe Nigeria for Every Child.
Political and Cultural Implications
Kano, one of Nigeria’s most populous and conservative states, was especially shaken by the revelation that some of the trafficked children were forcefully converted from Islam to Christianity, adding a religious dimension to the already harrowing saga. The case stoked tensions between communities and exposed gaps in Nigeria’s interfaith and interstate cooperation in law enforcement.
Analysts say the case could have lasting implications for federal-state collaboration on human trafficking and spark long-overdue reforms in interstate adoption laws, orphanage regulation, and child identification systems.
Closing Note
As the gavel fell in Justice Yusuf’s courtroom, there was an audible sense of relief—and resolve. For a nation grappling with rising insecurity and a crisis of trust in its justice system, the judgment stands as both a moral reckoning and a legal precedent.
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What’s Next: With the major players now behind bars, civil society leaders are calling for the establishment of a National Missing Children Database, improved biometric registration of infants, and renewed support for reunited families.
The wounds of the Kano-Onitsha trafficking saga may never fully heal, but this judgment sends a resounding message: Nigeria will not tolerate the theft of its children.