BREAKING: Police seal Arrows of God orphanage, arrest admin staff

BREAKING: Police seal Arrows of God orphanage, arrest admin staff

The Ajah premises of the Arrows of God Orphanage in Lagos has been sealed by the police and one of its admin staff arrested, FIJ can confirm.

The actions followed the documentary and multimedia story by ‘Fisayo Soyombo, the founder and editor-in-chief of FIJ, uncovering an insidious trend of baby sales at the orphanage after a 19-month investigation.

The authorities sprang into action in response to FIJ’s report published on Thursday and documentary which went live on Friday.

When FIJ visited the orphanage on Saturday, the gate had been sealed. The few eyewitnesses around were reluctant to give details of what they saw on Friday afternoon. However, the seals on the orphanage’s gate and fence seen by FIJ were from the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development.

“This premises has been sealed following the violation of the CHILD RIGHTS Law of Lagos State,” the seal read.

FIJ’s reporters met a man whom a commercial motorcyclist recognised as a worker at the Arrows of God Orphanage along Oke Ira Road. However, the man, who simply identified himself as Julius, denied working with the orphanage.

Julius claimed he had lived close to the orphanage for about seven years. He said that he saw a crowd in front of the orphanage on Friday afternoon.

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“I live here, but I did not really witness it actually. I came when I saw the people were taking the children… I really don’t know but I think they were from Alausa,” Julius told FIJ on Saturday.

“You guys were the people who published the stuff, right? Someone asked you guys to publish that stuff?

“I stay at this estate. I have been in this area for like six or seven years, and people might have different opinions, but I don’t see this home as a home doing all the stuff that people are saying.

“All I know is that the home has a good record for years. I don’t know if they [those who came to seal the orphanage] came in trucks; I just saw people going out. People from inside the orphanage. It was around 3:00 pm.”

A young man with tribal marks said he didn’t know anything about the sealing on Friday and directed us to the previous shop where we met Julius.

Fathia, a young lady working at a tailor’s shop next to the orphanage, told FIJ that she and her sister attended the school inside Arrows of God Orphanage. She confirmed that the authorities came to the orphanage at about 3 pm on Friday.

“I don’t know o. I just saw people coming out. It was in the afternoon,” Fathia explained.

“What I know is that this orphanage, this school is where I went to. But what I see is that it’s not like before. I finished from the place 6 years ago, and even my siblings.

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“I schooled there, and it’s not as lively as before. The school that is run there is primary, nursery and kindergarten (sic). People can apply to the school to enroll their children.”

Some shop owners opposite the orphanage denied awareness of the incident.

None of the residents living close to the orphanage confirmed the agencies involved in Friday’s raid.

FIJ knows for a fact that the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) was involved.

A NAPTIP official at its Lagos office confirmed the orphanage closure and Oluchi Onyia’s detention.

“Yes, we know about the sealing of the orphanage. Don’t worry, everything is okay. Oluchi Onyia is with us,” the NAPTIP official told FIJ on Saturday.

“Oluchi is in our office right now. We actually got more details and we picked Oluchi up yesterday. As the whole process progresses, we will let you know.”

BREAKING: Police seal Arrows of God orphanage, arrest admin staff