Orphanage: Lagos ministry relocates 25 children to unknown destination...

Rescued children

A team from the Lagos State Ministry of Woman Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, on Saturday evening, relocated 25 children from St. Stephen Orphanage, Egbeda, Lagos, to an undisclosed place.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the children were taken away during an operation following the newspaper’s publication about the home last Saturday.

The team, led by its Director of Child Development, WAPA, Mrs. Alaba Fadairo, reportedly visited the home and took the 25 children away.

The team, which comprised representatives of the Office of the Public Defender and the Alausa Police Station, also arrested the coordinator of the home, Mrs. Roseann Nwachukwu.

Attempts by our correspondent to confirm the whereabouts of the children and visit them to ascertain their welfare failed.

In separate interviews, Fadairo and the Director, Office of the Public Defender, Mrs. Omotola Rotimi, said Saturday PUNCH would not have access to them.

Fadairo said on telephone, “They are in a government orphanage. They are doing fine. I still saw them yesterday.”

In a reply to a text message from our correspondent, Rotimi wrote, “Cases regarding children are treated confidentially. What I can tell you is that they are in safe custody of the state. OPD is representing them to ensure their rights are not violated.”

Our correspondent, however, learnt that Nwachukwu was eventually granted bail on Tuesday evening, after preliminary investigations were concluded.

It was learnt that representatives of WAPA had visited the home on Friday, a day before the raid, and withdrew the registration of the Non-Governmental Organisation done three years ago.

A medical doctor who did a study on children’s correctional centres, Dr. Favour Nwolisa, said WAPA’s failure to adequately monitor the activities of the organisation gave Nwachukwu the room to exceed operational allowance.

In a statement via email, WAPA highlighted its findings after the raid.

WAPA alleged that the home, located in Egbeda, Lagos, was used as venue for child trafficking, saying that the coordinator would soon be charged to court.

The ministry alleged further that the home perpetrated illegal activities and subjected the children to deteriorating conditions.

The statement said, “Upon investigations, it was discovered that Nwachukwu trafficked 27 children kept in a room, using them to raise money and defraud innocent members of the public, who may need assistance in child adoption.

“The 25 children were rescued and the whereabouts of the remaining two children remains unknown.”

It said its investigation showed that there were no records on each of the children, “No evidence of how the children got to her and no form of police or security report.”

Reacting to these allegations, counsel for Nwachukwu, Austin Awuluo, told our correspondent on the telephone that WAPA had no basis to establish child trafficking charges against her.

He said she had, over the years, operated the home on the basis of fairness, passion and good intentions.

Awuluo said it was not true that the home had no records saying that WAPA officials took away the children’s records when they raided the home.

He also wondered why WAPA suddenly decided to withdraw the license it had issued to Nwachukwu some years back.

An Ikeja Magistrate’s Court, Lagos State has ordered the remand of a 55-year-old woman, Rose Nwachuwku, in police custody for allegedly running an unlawful orphanage.

The Lagos State Government on Thursday claimed it rescued 25 children from the orphanage home located in the Egbeda area of the state which, it said was being used as a front for child trafficking.

The alleged illegal orphanage, named, Saint Stephen Charity Foundation, on Abiodun Adebanbo Street, Egbeda, was said to have been operating for 12 years.

On Friday, authorities brought Nwachukwu before a Magistrate, Mrs Eniola Fabamwo, who ordered that the accused should be remanded till Monday when her case would be heard by the appropriate court.

The police filed one count of operation of unlawful orphanage against her.

The police prosecutor, an Assistant Suprintendent of Police,  Barth Nwaokoye, alleged that Nwachuwku, committed the offence between January 2011 and August 17, 2013 at 30/32, Prince Adebambo Street, in Egbeda area of Lagos.