Please pray for the imminent release of eight children in Nigeria who remain held after being taken by the authorities almost six years ago.

Eight of the 27 children taken from a Christian orphanage in Nigeria by police almost six years ago are still being arbitrarily held in awful conditions, despite pressure from local and international bodies.

On Christmas Day 2019, armed police stormed the Christian-run Du Merci orphanage in Kano State, seizing 19 children and forcibly taking them into custody. Six days later, Du Merci’s Kaduna State branch was raided, with a further eight children taken. The orphanage’s founder, Professor Solomon Tarfa, and his wife, Mercy, were accused of illegally running the homes.

The charges proved baseless, after it was shown in court that Du Merci had operated correctly and legally for decades. After almost a year in jail, Solomon was released and acquitted. However, Kano State prosecutors then sought fresh charges, this time accusing him of forging a registration certificate. In court scenes that surprised legal observers, he was sentenced to two years in prison.