A child rights activist, Mr Ighorhiohwumu Aghogho has accused the officials of the Delta State government of involvement in child trafficking racket.
Aghogho, who is also a proprietor of Explosive Academy, a duly registered special school for the correction of children who are beyond parental control in Abraka, stated this at a press briefing held in Warri on Wednesday.
The activist said officials of the state government have grossly abused the process for adoption of orphans from registered orphanage homes in the state noting that the situation has helped child traffickers to easily abuse orphans without records.
He stressed that all efforts to press the state government officials to correct the anomaly had not yielded any positive result, disclosing that the state adoption register containing the daily list of orphans had been missing.
The activist who said he had toured all agencies concerned about child abused and trafficking in the state including state House of Assembly without any positive results however declared a 15-day ultimatum to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking-in-persons (NAPTIP) to produce the adoption children register.
Aghogho, while alleging further that about 27 orphanage homes are unlawfully operating in the state, threatened, “We are giving the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking-in Persons (NAPTIP) Abuja, fifteen days ultimatum after which we will apply to court for an order of mandamus to compel NAPTIP to search for and produce the Adoption Children Register of Delta State and to stop the Delta State Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development, Asaba, from further trafficking of Delta state children.
“That the said ministry has been investigated repeatedly by us and found to be trafficking children on daily basis whose identities are not known to law from the state.
“That the Honourable commissioner of the said ministry, Rev. (Mrs. Omatsola Williams, the Director of Child Development, Mr. Adebayo and the whole Child Development officers, Social Welfare officers of the ministry and most homes/orphanages in the state are perpetrators of this heinous crime.
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“That the said Ministry is responsible for the unlawful accommodation of children branded as orphans or abandoned children with crooked police extracts in the various homes/orphanages across the state without an order of court in violation of section 43 of the Delta State Child’s Right Law.”
When contacted the Commissioner for Women of Women Affairs Community and Social developlemnt, Mr. Omotsola Williams said she was disposed to speak and directed our correspondent ro reach out toe the commissioner for Information or the Public Relation Officer of the ministry.
The commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah who was contacted on his mobile, asked our correspondent after explaining the reason for the call, to put every on text message to enable him react to the allegations.
Also contacted on his mobile phone, the Director of Child Development, Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development Mr. Fred Ogheni, dismiss the allegation as false, claiming the state government adheres strictly to relevant laws guiding adoption of suspected ophans and adoption processes.
Mrs. Omatsone, Director of Peoples Right Department, Ministry of Justice, Asaba when contacted for her comment on the issue of the missing register of orphans in the state, said the allegation is far from the truth. “Who is the person that gave you the information? That is not true. We are even investigating a case from the ministry of Women affairs from the said person. We will soon finish with our investigation.”
The Zonal Commandant, NANTIP Benin City, Mr. Odita Chukwudi when contact over allegation of negligence on petition by Mr. Aghogho, said that his agency was playing their part towards investigating the allegation of child trafficking against the Delta State Government.
“I am not suppose to report to him. He is a party in this matter. The petition was sent to Abuja and was referred to our office. We are doing our best. As I speak with you our report is ready for submission to my boss.”
