Following the recent discovery of an illegal orphanage home in Igando area of the state on Tuesday, the Lagos State Government has issued a 14-day ultimatum to operators of unregistered Orphanages and Homes in the state for registration or risk forfeiture of their facilities.

The State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Agboola Dabiri, who made the disclosure, stated that the Enforcement Unit of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, acting on an information received from the Lagos Police Command, Gender Unit, Ikeja visited the illegal orphanage at 3, Alhaji Jimoh Sodiq Street, Igando, and took custody of three pregnant teenagers and two children at the location before it was sealed.

Dabiri opined that the existence of illegal Orphanages and Homes not duly registered with government makes such facilities susceptible to unscrupulous practices capable of negatively affecting the image of the State Government and the putting their clients at risk.

He stated that henceforth there shall be no more hiding place for owners of illegal Homes that fail to adhere to regulatory standards set for orphanages, motherless babies and correctional homes in the state.

According to him, “It is mandatory for all orphanages, homeowners and operators in Lagos State to register with Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development; those who are yet to do so must comply within 14 days from now to forestall closure of such illicit homes.”

The Commissioner stated that after preliminary investigations on the sealed home, it was discovered that the Orphanage does not have the approval of the State Government to commence activities as the operators had earlier been denied the certificate of operation due to unavailability of necessary facilities.

However, the operator of Holy Infant Orphanage, Mrs. Binta Adebayo, who claimed that she was still processing the certificate of operation with the State Government, denied running the Home with an ulterior intention

Update news