Lagos Shuts Illegal Orphanage, Rescue 5 Children

The Lagos State government has shut an illegal orphanage at Alagbado in Agbado?Okeodo Local Council Development Area, LCDA and rescued five children from the home.

The orphanage, Stream of Mercy and Love for Humanity Centre, located at Ilapo village, Alagbado was never registered with the state government before it commenced operation about two years ago.

Sources said that officials of the Office of Youth and Social Development, OYSD, stormed the area last Thursday, arresting the caregiver found in the orphanage and shut the premises.

Officials rescued five children who were between the ages of one and eight years. Also, Mrs. Glory Ebenezer, the owner of the orphanage was said to be away at the time of closure.

It was learnt that the caregiver was later released after the husband to the owner of the orphanage showed up at the office of the state Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.

The owner’s husband, who was formally detained, was later released on bail as the offence is said to be bailable.

The orphanage had approached the state government for registration on December 23, 2013, but was turned down since it did not allegedly meet the requirement for registration.

A state government officials alleged that the orphanage had been operating three years before it sought for registration, an act the government declared illegal as one could not operate an orphanage without being registered.