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The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has recued 23 children from the Priesthood Orphanage and sealed the orphanage for its alleged involvement in child trafficking.
The orphanage, located in Karon Majigi village, had housed children between the ages 1-14 years, who were allegedly trafficked from Plateau state.
The Mandate Secretary of the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, Mrs. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi disclosed this on Monday, stating that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had authorized the Secretariat to profile and recertify orphanages operating in the nation’s capital.
Benjamins-Laniyi stated, “There is no question, yesterday, with immediate effect, that ‘home’ was sealed, shut down. We have the name of the proprietor of the orphanage home, but we are not naming names now for obvious reasons. When the entire material investigation is concluded, there will be an officially gazetted presentation of the facts, the findings and the delivery of this intervention we have started here today."
She further mentioned that the Secretariat is working with the Plateau State Ministry of Women Affairs to reunite the children with their families, some of whom had been at the uncertified orphanage for five years, since 2019.
Plateau State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Caroline Dafur, explained that the proprietors of the orphanage had abandoned the children under the care of one Pastor Abraham, in a terrible condition of hunger.
She stated, “Three of the children had then escaped and were discovered by officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps, who reported the case to the NAPTIP and took the children to the Human Rights Radio, who then notified the Plateau State government and the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat."
Dafur expressed shock at the conditions in which the children were living, describing the situation as pathetic and highlighting the need for better treatment of individuals in the country.
