Four orphanages have been shut by the Lagos State government over alleged baby trafficking, Mobolaji Abubakre Ogunlende, Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, has disclosed.
According to Ogunlende, one orphanage in the Igando area of the state was shut down for violating procedure in child rights law, registration and mismanagement.
Another, Life Time Changer Orphanage, FESTAC, we found to be trafficking babies.
Others were also found not to follow the procedure when they give out children for adoption.
‘’They do things within their realm because we have officers that continue to go out. We have access to information as a ministry saddled with protecting those children.
“When we get this information, we ensure that we go out and they are brought to book. This is the reason why we shut them down. We have guidelines, and so, we encourage people to come to the ministry where we offer them guidelines to open an orphanage home,’’ the official said during a briefing to mark the second year of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
According to him, the government, through the ministry, approved the establishment of more orphanages in the last one year, adding that 68 orphanages were fully registered, while 45 others received provisional approvals after rigorous screening processes to ensure compliance with basic standards. He noted that these approvals were meant to complement government-owned orphanages in caring for vulnerable children.
Ogunlende also said that thousand Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) have been empowered by the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), either through financial support, skills acquisition or provisions of vocational and work tools and health care access in the last one year.
The interventions include disbursement of N30,000,000 financial support to 150 senior citizens with disabilities, 100 vulnerable PWDs and several disability advocacy groups, including Dyslexia Nigeria, the National Association for the Blind, and Down Syndrome Association.
