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Tension rose Thursday in Onitsha when government and security officials evacuating babies from Onitsha South Local Government Area Motherless Babies Home, (Children’s home), Anambra State, were resisted from evacuating the babies by workers in Umunna home on alleged orders of the council boss who was away to Abuja.
Officials were equally shocked that the home located at Umunna street Onitsha had 11 babies missing out of initial 25.They sighted only 12 babies.
Ministry officials led by Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Lady Henrietta Agbata raised the alarm that out of 25 inmates reported to be in the home, only 12 were seen. The home was later sealed up by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development after the evacuation.
The home officials explained that two babies are at Umunze Special School and the security officials and ministry workers evacuated the 12 babies to the Onitsha Red Cross Motherless babies home (Children’s Home).
Agbata represented by the Director Child Development, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development , Mr. Emeka Ejide said the home was allegedly engaging on child trafficking.
Sealing up the home, Ejide, said that the Commissioner, Mrs. Henrietta Azuka Agbata, gave the directive to shut the home in view of the need to help investigate the alleged trafficking and child theft from the home. He hinted that based on the allegation, the state commissioner of Police Mr. Gwari Usman paraded managers of the home recently at Awka, State capital, before newsmen.
He regretted that the home was being used outside the purpose for which it was meant for, adding that investigations revealed that the home was a child traffic point.
The seal up, he said was a temporary measure as it may be reopened after police investigation. He added that the action of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development was carried out in compliance with the child right law of Anambra State section 198.
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