The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has taken decisive action by sealing off the Priesthood Orphanage located in Karon Majigi Village, Abuja, following the rescue of 23 children aged between one and 14 from the facility.
The children, suspected to have been trafficked from Plateau State, were found in distressing conditions.
Mrs. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, the Mandate Secretary of the Women Affairs Secretariat, FCTA, made this revelation while handing over the rescued children to the Plateau Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Caroline Dafur, in Abuja on Monday.
Benjamins-Laniyi disclosed that investigations were underway to ascertain the details of the trafficking allegations. Additionally, she stated that FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had authorized the Secretariat to conduct a comprehensive profiling and recertification of orphanages operating within the nation’s capital.
“In light of this incident, one of our immediate actions is to obtain approval for the recertification of orphanage homes in Abuja. The Minister has sanctioned a thorough reprofiling and recertification process for all orphanages in Abuja,” she affirmed.
Furthermore, Benjamins-Laniyi mentioned that the Secretariat was collaborating with Dafur to facilitate the reunification of the children with their families. Shockingly, some of the rescued children had reportedly been residing in the unaccredited orphanage since 2019.
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Addressing the grim conditions encountered at the orphanage, Dafur recounted how three children managed to escape due to the deplorable environment. These children were later discovered by officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), who promptly alerted the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
Upon receiving the distress call, the Plateau Government and the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat swiftly intervened to rescue the remaining children from the dire situation. Dafur expressed profound gratitude to the mandate secretary for her support in relocating the children to the Karu Children’s Home, emphasizing the urgent need for improved welfare standards in orphanages across the country.