Police in northern Nigeria say they have rescued 27 children from two illegal orphanages operating in Kano and Kaduna states.
The children were rescued from the Du Merci orphanage, which has two branches, police spokesman Abdullahi Haruna told the BBC.
“Nineteen children were rescued from the orphanage in Kano and eight from their Kaduna branch,” Mr Haruna said.
The main branch was in Kano, where it has been operating in a busy neighbourhood in the centre of the city for 25 years.
But police said it had had no “clearance” and had not been registered.
The owner has been arrested and charged in court with running illegal orphanages.
All the children have been transferred to a government-owned orphanage in neighbouring Nasarawa state.