When Zainab Abdullahi Giginyu looked at the photograph of a rescued girl, her heart skipped. The features were familiar, too familiar to ignore.
The girl in the picture, seen hundreds of kilometers away in Port Harcourt, bore a striking resemblance to her daughter, who was snatched years ago in Kano.
“I see her eyes, her smile... I truly believe she could be my daughter,”;; Zainab said softly, fighting back tears.
“I need help from the government to find out if she’s really mine and bring her home.”;;
Zainab is one of dozens of parents in Kano State still haunted by the mysterious disappearances of their children.
Now, hope has returned — but so has heartache — as news emerged that a group of trafficked children, many believed to be from northern Nigeria, were rescued in southern cities including Port Harcourt.
A search for identity and justice
Behind is a network of determined parents and activists. Coalition Of Parents For The Abducted Children In Kano State ( COPACK ), working alongside advocacy groups, has taken its appeal directly to the government. They want one thing: to reunite with their children.
Comrade Isma’il Ibrahim Muhammad, who leads the group in Kano, confirmed to DAILY POST that photos of rescued children have been obtained and are being circulated.
“We need parents whose children were abducted to come forward and look at these images,”;; he said.
“There is a chance their sons or daughters are among those identified as kidnapped children.”;;
He further revealed that in a compound in Ozouba, Port Harcourt, more kidnapped children have been identified.
“Authorities in Port Harcourt have shared more pictures, and they are now with the police,”;; Comrade Isma’il said.
He also mentioned that rescued children have been identified in Anambra, Delta, and Kaduna States, but bringing them back has been slow due to bureaucracy.
Almost in tears, he added: “We are facing serious bureaucratic bottlenecks in returning these children home.”;;
In a video clip seen by DAILY POST, the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Mansur Hassan, displayed some of the rescued children and gave chilling insights into the horrors of child trafficking.
“Some of these children are sold for their body parts; others are sold and their identities are completely changed,”;; DSP Hassan said.
He pointed at one child and said, “This is Isa, but his name has been changed to Michael.”;;
Then he pointed at another in a green top: “His name was Safiyanu, but they have changed his name to Joshua.”;;
Hassan also blamed parental negligence as a factor enabling child abduction, calling on families to be more vigilant.
The long road home
Investigations revealed that the trafficked children had not only been relocated to faraway states — mostly in the South-East and South-South — but were subjected to deep identity changes.
Names were altered. Religions changed. Many were taken when they were too young to remember where they came from.
“These children are growing up with no memory of their true roots,”;; Comrade Isma’il said.
“It’s painful, imagine your child growing up calling another family ‘home’ and forgetting their real parents.”;;
The rescue efforts have led to the arrest of suspected traffickers and the recovery of several children. But reuniting them with their families remains a complex process.
Still, parents like Zainab hold onto hope.
“I believe she’s mine,”;; she repeated.
“And even if she doesn’t remember me now, I will wait as long as it takes to bring her back home.”;;
The Association has publicly commended the Kano State government for its support so far but issued a heartfelt plea to do more.
“We’re thankful,”;; said Comrade Isma’il.
“But the work is far from done. We need the government to double its efforts. Every child still out there deserves to come home.”;;
