Dupes unsuspecting donors
By Nosa Akenzua, Delta
About 86,000 fake orphanages have been operating across the 25 local government areas of Delta state and, in the process, duping unsuspecting donors in the last two years, it has been discovered.
Findings show that in about eight local government areas out of 25 in the state, illegal orphanages owned by faceless groups operate under fake registered names and without signboards. In Asaba, Ibusa, Ughelli, Sapele, Okpanam, Issele-Uku, Ogwashi-Uku communities, it is often sad stories and sorrowful tales of human trafficking and alleged sale of babies by the operators who, after hoodwinking rightful mothers of the babies into illicit “deals”, allegedly sell the babies for peanuts.
The Delta state police commissioner, Mr. Zanna Ibrahim,recently told newsmen in Asaba that security agents in the state had been facing a lot of tough battle with many of the operators of orphanages in the state, especially in Asaba and Ibusa where orphanages are being operated in dingy environment and dilapidated buildings.
“We have had recorded cases of some of these orphanages operating under poor condition; under such disguise, the operators sell babies to unsuspecting buyers. We have arrested several persons in connection with the act and we are ready to shut down many of the orphanages” the police commissioner disclosed.
Last Monday, the police uncovered an illegal orphanage home behind NTA Asaba. There, over 21 babies were recorded, and three out of the babies allegedly sold for N1.3million. According to Ibrahim, the operator (name withheld) is currently being detained for investigation.
Expectedly, the state government, through its ministry of women affairs and social development, had raised the alarm over the influx of illegal orphanage homes and ordered the closure of 201 of such while 63,000 fake accounts were uncovered on the net with fictitious names, and had raked estimated sum of N2billion in the last two years from unsuspecting donors, many of them from abroad.
Mrs. Omashola Williams, the state commissioner for women affairs and social development, confirmed that the state government had been inundated by the influx of illegal orphanages across the state, adding that steps had been taken to ensure their illegalities were brought to book.
Noting that the state government had closed down sixteen illegal homes in the past, Mrs. Williams expressed the determination of the state government to put a stop to the illegality of orphanages in the state.
Investigation revealed that operators of illegal orphanages hoodwink unsuspecting donors with highly placed names of board members and impressive letterheads with photographs of sorrowful orphans and, in most cases, solicit for financial assistance from “big-time politicians, foreigners and well-known corporate bodies with bogus account numbers boldly typed on the letter heads.
Only recently a foreign donor was hit in a hue and cry by one of these orphanages in Sapele after the operator allegedly ripped off the unsuspecting donor to the tune of someN3million. The donor’s bid to locate the address of the orphanage had turned out fruitless.
A group of “church ministers” led by Evangelist (Mrs.) Mabel Awoniso told our reporter that most orphanage homes they visited across the state were eyesores despite claims by the operators that they “care for the orphanages”. According to Mrs.Awoniso, some of the orphanages they visited operate without windows, spacious rooms, and good toilet facilities.
Leader of the “caring for the orphanages” group, Mrs. Awoniro speakingfurther to the journalists lamented the damage these illegal and fake orphanages had done to the state, saying that if urgent steps were not taken to stop the ungodly activities, it might be worsened.
The state government had officially recorded 520 registered orphanages in 2016, until the current growing standard orchestrated by desperate huge fund seekers who allegedly obtained registration in cognito, after giving out “bribes” to some government officials in charge of registration of orphanages. Mrs. Williams, however, said that the incident was being investigated by the government.
https://orientdailynews.com.ng/crime/fake-orphanages-discovered-delta-2/  Lalasticlala seun |
