Thursday, 22 August 2013
Twentyfive children have been rescued by officials of the Lagos State Government from an alleged child-trafficker who operates an illegal orphanage home located at Egbeda area of Lagos State.
It was gathered that officials of the Office of Youth and Social Department, led by the director, child development, Mrs. Alaba Fadairo, and officers from the Office of the Public Defender, OPD, backed up by police officers, stormed the illegal orphanage to rescue the children and arrest the suspect, who has been identified as Mrs. Rosemary Nwachukwu.
The said illegal orphanage, Saint Stephen Charity Foundation, a home for orphans and less privileged children, is located at No 30/32 Abiodun Adebanbo Street, Egbeda, Lagos.
The director, OPD, Mrs. Omotola Rotimi said it was discovered upon investigation that the suspect was planning to traffic 27 children kept in a room.
The said orphanage had allegedly defrauded members of the public, by using the children to raise money, through adoption. At the time of the raid, only 25 children were rescued. The whereabouts of the other two are yet to be ascertained.
Corroborating the claims, the Fadairo, said the illegal business was being conducted in an apartment within the residential building, and that upon investigation, it was discovered had been engaging in various anti-child development activities, such as illegal adoption, trafficking and others acts which were perpetrated for selfish reasons.
“Investigation also shows that there are no records about any of the children – no evidence of how she came to be in possession of the children and no form of police or security report,” Fadairo said.
Fadairo further warned members of the public to be vigilant and report cases of child trafficking to the media or the government, so as to prevent children from being used by similar organisations for selfish reasons.
Fadairo sounded a note of warning that people and organisations operating unapproved or illegal orphanages would be arrested and prosecuted according to the law.
Fielding questions from newsmen, the suspect Nwachukwu confessed that she had been running the illegal orphanage for the past 18 years, and that it was purely on charity basis. She denied trafficking any of the children or using them for purpose besides “adoption”.
