•Anambra illegal child adoption home owners must be found and prosecuted

An investigative report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism alleging illegal activities at an orphanage embarrassed the Anambra State government, prompting belated action that suggested laxity in the regulation of orphanages in the state. The report had alleged that the orphanage was involved in illegal child adoption processes, a euphemism for buying and selling children, with the cooperation of government officials.

‘’As soon as we saw the video, we rushed to the facility with police but discovered that the owners had disappeared, abandoning the entire children,’’ the state’s commissioner for women and social welfare, Ify Obinabo, explained in a statement.

“We immediately sealed the facility and withdrew their licence, while we brought the entire kids to the ministry to ensure their safety and upkeep,” she said, adding that the founder of the home, Deborah Ogo, had ignored invitations from the ministry to clarify its operations following the damning report.

According to her, “20 children were recovered from the operator, including a newborn while the founder and her staff are currently at large.” The children, she stated, were “between the ages of one year to 17 years and they are 10 boys, nine girls and a newborn.” She said there were ongoing efforts to locate their families.

At the centre of the scandal is Arrow of God Community Children’s Home at Nkwelle Ezunaka in Oyi Local Government Area of the state. The commissioner, who said her ministry was mandated to “fight illegal adoption,” and was “in control of all adoptions,” claimed that the orphanage in question “went against the instructions.” In particular, she accused the home of not involving officially recognised signatories and designated courts in its adoption processes.

It’s unclear when the home was founded, and for how long it had been allegedly involved in unlawful adoption operations. Also, it’s unclear how the relevant authorities carry out their regulatory roles, and why they were unaware of the alleged illegalities at the home. It is concerning that it took a journalistic investigative report to alert the authorities to the alleged irregularities.

The Foundation for Investigative Journalism should be commended for the exposé. Importantly, the alleged irregularities may not be limited to the home in question. The relevant authorities in the state should, therefore, take this case as a wake-up call and review their approach to regulating orphanages in the state.

It is reassuring that the commissioner warned other children’s home operators involved in illegal adoption “to desist forthwith or face the consequences,” adding that the state government “is all out to clamp down on operators who don’t follow the stipulated standardised operational practices and processes in the state.”

However, the situation demands more than tough talk. The state government must ensure that the orphanages that should be under its control are actually controlled by its agents.

The founder of the home, who is said to be at large, should be found, arrested, prosecuted and sanctioned if guilty. She has a lot of explaining to do. The authorities must also find out whether government officials were involved in the racket, as the report alleged. Implicated government officials should also be tried, and punished if guilty. There is a need to send a strong signal that such illegalities are unacceptable.

In addition, there is the issue of whether a connection exists between orphanages like the one in question and so-called baby factories, which are frequently discovered in parts of the country, where young women give birth to children who are then placed for sale on the illegal adoption market. This should be clarified.

Children are not commodities that can be bought and sold, and should not be treated as such. Adoption irregularities that border on buying and selling children should be condemned and discouraged. Such actions amount to abuse of innocence as well as abuse of trust.

There can’t be a seller without a buyer. This is why the authorities must also focus on the buying aspect of the scandal, and devise ways to discourage those who make selling possible because they are willing to buy, for whatever reason.

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