BY RITA OYIBOKA
THE Delta State Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development has shut down Happy Home Orphanage, located in Okwe, Oshimili South Local Government Area, over alleged involvement in child trafficking.
The ministry also evacuated 14 children from the facility to relocate them to safer and government-approved homes to protect their welfare.
The action followed earlier allegations that the orphanage owner, Christopher Nwoye, accommodated children allegedly stolen from Kano, Gombe and other northern states.
Recall that the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) had, during a raid in June, discovered over 70 children in the orphanage. Eight of the children were immediately removed by the agency at the time.
Speaking with The Pointer after the exercise, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Oghenekevwe Agas, said the decision to shut down the orphanage was taken on the advice of the Ministry of Justice, following NAPTIP’s investigation.
According to her, the orphanage’s licence has been withdrawn pending the outcome of the owner’s trial in Kano State, where he is currently facing charges related to child trafficking.
“For those who have been following the case, NAPTIP came to the home some months ago and removed eight children,” Agas said. “On the advice of NAPTIP and the Ministry of Justice, the orphanage was shut down and its licence withdrawn until the owner is cleared. At the moment, he is undergoing trial in Kano State.”
She explained that the ministry acted primarily in the best interest of the children, noting that the owner was no longer available to provide proper care.
“For the well-being and welfare of the children, since the owner is not immediately available, we had to take them out and place them in safer homes,” she added.
Agas warned operators of orphanages across the state to adhere strictly to ethical and legal standards, stressing that the ministry would not hesitate to clamp down on illegal facilities.
“We always advise orphanage operators to be ethical in their operations, ensure they are properly registered, and keep children in conducive environments.
“This kind of exercise will continue for orphanages operating illegally. Once we discover unethical practices, we inspect them, invite them for meetings, and if they fail to comply with guidelines, they are shut down,” she said.
She disclosed that the ministry has shut down two to three orphanages in the past for similar violations, underlining the government’s zero-tolerance stance on child trafficking and abuse.
