Lagos shuts four orphanages over child trafficking

Lagos shuts four orphanages over child trafficking

The Lagos State Government has closed four orphanages indicted in child trafficking, illegal adoption, and other violations of child rights laws while approving 45 other homes after rigorous screening.

This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, during a ministerial press briefing at Alausa, Ikeja, marking the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Dr Obafemi Hamzat’s administration.

Ogunlende stated, “God’s Time Orphanage in Igando was shut down for violating child rights laws, improper registration, and mismanagement. At Life Time Changer Orphanage in Festac, we discovered babies were being trafficked. Other organisations failed to follow proper procedures in child adoption.”

He emphasised that the closures were due to observed infractions and operational irregularities. The affected homes will remain closed pending investigations, after which sanctions or corrective measures will be applied to deter future violations.

The commissioner appealed to prospective orphanage operators to strictly adhere to guidelines, including obtaining a Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration certificate, dedicating the facility solely to orphanage services, exclusive child placement through the Ministry, no unauthorised adoption without Ministry approval, and clear operational specialisation.

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Ogunlende mentioned that the ministry is the sole authority for placing children in registered orphanages and warned against circumventing established protocols.

The Lagos State government, through the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, has approved 68 fully registered orphanages and provisionally approved 45 others over the past year to complement government-owned facilities in caring for vulnerable children.

“The administration of Governor Sanwo-Olu is committed to ensuring children are raised in safe environments where they receive proper care,” Ogunlende said.

Speaking on disability empowerment, Ogunlende noted that the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA) has empowered 1,000 persons with disabilities (PWDs) through financial aid, skills training, vocational tools, and healthcare access in the past year.

The interventions include providing ₦30 million to 150 senior citizens with disabilities, 100 vulnerable PWDs, and disability advocacy groups like Dyslexia Nigeria, the National Association for the Blind, and the Down Syndrome Association.

100 people with disabilities received business training, CAC registration, and gear such as cookers, fish tanks, freezers, and sewing machines to help them start their own businesses.

Lagos state’s Civil servants with impairments received motorised wheelchairs, scooters, laptop computers with JAWS software, and funds for prostheses.

Additional assistance included free oral care for disabled children, the distribution of manual wheelchairs and assistive devices, and the renovation of inclusive schools with learning aids.

Lagos shuts four orphanages over child trafficking