Osun: Undergraduate, Pregnant Girls, Children Found In Orphanage Shut Down By Gov’t

Osun State Government has sealed off an orphanage for alleged illegal activities.

A student of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and 47 children were reportedly rescued from the orphanage located in Ile Ife.

The commissioner for Women, Children and Social Affairs, Olubukola Olaboopo, who disclosed this on Saturday said the state government had received many petitions about the alleged illegal activities going on at the orphanage for the last four years.

She stated that the place was suspected to be used as a baby factory but that the owner of the place claimed that she was not using the place as a baby factory.

The commissioner stressed that while the place had been shut down, the ministry was still investigating the case.

Olaboopo said the government had earlier invited the proprietress and warned her, saying she assured them that illegal activities would not happen at the place.

The commissioner said that despite the warning issued to her, the orhanage still went ahead to flout the Child Right Act and based on this, the orphanage was shut down.

She said, ‘We have got several reports for about three or four years that the children in the place are malnourished and the environment is very dirty. Some illegal activities have been going on there and it is more or less like a baby factory.

“We commenced our investigation… We called the attention of the proprietress to the allegations. She promised she was going to turn a new leaf, she was going to move to another premises which she did but even at that, we saw that her operational procedure and other things are not proper and in order. We have no choice than to move in to seal off the place in the interest of the children.

“At the end of the day we rescued 47 children 10-15 adults girls are there. Those with physical disabilities,among whom is an undergraduate of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree were among those that were rescued, most of them were crying, they refused to follow us but we are able to take three of them.

“As at this morning, the matron who is taking care of those rescued adults ( at a new health facility) just told me that it seems two of them are breastfeeding.

“When we interrogated them,they said they have never given birth to a child. So, it means that we want to know who impregnated them because they are not married.

“The proprietress is claiming that they are orphans whom she brought up from when they were babies. How come they were pregnant, so there are so many things that we need to uncover and the state government is still investigating the case.”