Orphanage in a mess, steals, sells boy for N850,000

Luck ran out for a child trafficking syndicate under the watch of a retired Director of Child Services in Delta State Ministry of Women Affairs, Asaba, Delta State, Mr. Collins Ogbor, on Wednesday, as the state police command apprehended the gang for stealing and selling a boy, one of twins, for N850,000 to a couple in Benin City, Edo State.

Ironically, Mr. Ogbor’s duty before retirement, among others, was to enforce and protect the rights of children.

The four-man gang includes the Matron of Deliverance Orphanage, Ozoro, Madam Christiana and her two daughters, one of who was running an illegal home, God’s Will Orphanage, Ekpan, Warri. Five children found at the orphanage have been moved to Word of Life Orphanage, also in Warri.

Their nemesis, an anti-child trafficking crusader, Mr. Joshua Omorere of Nigerian Child Welfare, Warri, who spoke exclusively to The Guardian on Friday, gave nerve-wracking details of the gang’s method, and how they fell for the trap he laid for the deadly foursome, vowing that, “The baby thief, Juliet Phillip, Mr. Ogba, her mother, Christiana and her elder sister whose account the money was paid into, will have Inspector Benjamin Akhagbemeh, the IPO from Area Command office, Warri, to contend with as he has been saddled with the responsibility of sorting the puzzle.”

The Guardian, February 11, 2019

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now