The Minister of the Nigerian Federal Capital, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike following some malfeasance in the Child Rights Act has approved the re-profiling and rescaling of all orphanages in the FCT.
This disclosure was given on Monday by the FCT Mandate Secretary on Woman Affairs, Adedayo Benjamins – Laniyi when handing over 20 children trafficked from Plateau State to the FCT to the representative of Plateau State government, Mrs. Caroline Dafur, Commissioner for Women Affairs in Plateau.
Benjamins – Laniyi explained that when she saw the state of things in Social Development, she briefed the minister who promptly approved the re-profiling and rescaling of all homes to ascertain their state and to make sure only homes that are capable and recognised by law keep children in the FCT.
On the trafficked Plateau children, the secretary explained that due to the crises in Plateau State over the years, some individuals took the opportunity to traffic children in the pretext of helping them.
She explained that the 23 children were moved into Abuja at different times unnoticed and were taken to a Priesthood Orphanage in Karma-Jiji and were later abandoned with another poster.
According to her, “Due to hunger, three of the children escaped and were picked up and taken to a popular radio station where Plateau indigenes in Abuja were contacted and the Plateau State government who in turn sent the Commissioner to meet with the FCT Administration over the matte”.
The Mandate Secretary further explained that while she was handing over 20 children to the Plateau State government through the Commissioner of Women Affairs, three were with NAPTIP.
“Child Rights Act intervention needs action which must be engaged with immediate effect and no slacking. My principal (Wike) is fire for fire and there will be no delay in addressing the issues. He will act as soon as he gets the report,” she said.
On her part, the Plateau State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Caroline Dafur said she was in the FCT to receive the Plateau trafficked children.
Dafur lamented that when she visited where the children were kept, it was not conducive for human habitation.
She said nine girls were kept in a small room with only two foams while the boys were in another small room with three foams.
The Commissioner narrated that the Proprietors of the orphanage home abandoned the children at the orphanage, under the care of one Pastor Abraham, in a terrible condition of hunger.
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’s Secretariat.
Dominica Nwabufo
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