FCTA seals orphanage over alleged trafficking of 23 children

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sealed off an orphanage in Karonmajigi, the Priesthood Orphanage, after 23 children, between ages 1 -14 were rescued from the orphanage.

It was gathered that the children were trafficked from Plateau State.

The Mandate Secretary of the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, Mrs Adedayo Benjamins—Laniyi, who disclosed this yesterday at a briefing, said that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has authorised the Secretariat to profile and recertify orphanages operating within the nation’s capital.

“The home is sealed and shut with immediate effect. We have the name of the proprietor of the orphanage home, but we are not naming names now for obvious reasons. When the entire investigation is concluded, there will be an official gazette presentation of the facts, the findings and the delivery of this intervention we’ve started here today.

“NAPTIP, as we speak is already on it. Using this as an example, one of the first things I have done is to get approval for the recertification of orphanage homes in Abuja. The Minister has approved that there will be a full thorough reprofiling of anything that has to do with orphanage and recertification status of all orphanages in Abuja”, she added.

She noted that the Women’s Secretariat was already working with the office of the Commissioner of Women Affairs of Plateau State, to reunite the children with their families, some of whom she said had been at the uncertified orphanage for five years, since 2019.

Explaining further, she said: “The place is just so unkempt. I wonder how the children were sleeping in the small room. Nine girls were sleeping in a very small room with just two mattresses. For the boys, they were in a small room too, with two mattresses just on the floor. It’s so pathetic the way human beings are treated in this country.”