Trafficking In Persons: 11 Babies Missing At Umunna Motherless Babies home , Onitsha

                                  

Tension rose today in Onitsha when Government and security officials evacuating babies from Onitsha South Local Government Area Motherless Babies Home, (Children’s home), Anambra State were resisted from evacuating the babies by workers in the home on alleged orders of the council boss who was away  to Abuja.

Ministry officials led by Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Lady Henrietta Agbata raised the alarm that  out of 25 inmates reported to be in the home, only 12 were seen while 11 were missing and two were in school at Umunze Special School.

The home was later sealed up by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development after the evacuation.

The security officials and ministry workers evacuated the 12 babies sighted to the Onitsha Red Cross Motherless babies home (Children’s Home) and queried them on the whereabouts of the other babies.

Agbata represented by the Director Child Development, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development , Mr  Emeka Ejide said the home was allegedly engaging on child trafficking.

Sealing up the home, Ejide, said that the Commissioner,  Mrs. Henrietta Azuka Agbata, gave the directive to shut the home in view of the need to  help investigate the alleged trafficking and  child theft from the home.

He hinted that based on the allegation, the state commissioner of Police Mr. Gwari Usman paraded managers of the home recently at Awka, State capital, before newsmen.

He regretted that the home was being used outside the purpose for which it was meant for , adding that investigations revealed that the home was a child traffic point.

The Seal up, he said further was a temporary measure which may be reopened after police investigation and recalled  that recently a child got missed from the home.

He added further that the action of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development  was carried out in compliance with the child right law of Anambra State section 198.

State Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Red Cross Social, Dr Peter Emeka Katchy managers of the Red Cross Motherless Babies Home (Children’s home) expressed regret over the incessant cases of child trafficking and regretted the agony parents may have gone through when their children got missed.

Katchy reiterated the need for concerted efforts between the Government and General Public towards fighting the perpetrators. He hinted that the bringing in  a child into another family without proper identification could cause problem sequel to strange blood. 

His words: “there is no way you will bring somebody from Akwa Ibom State, to Anambra State to be with a different family, it causes problems”.