On Monday, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) shut down the Priesthood Orphanage located in Karon Majigi village, Abuja, following the rescue of approximately 23 children aged between one and 14 from the facility. These children were reportedly trafficked from Plateau State.
The Mandate Secretary of the Women Affairs Secretariat, FCTA, Mrs. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, disclosed this information while handing over the children to the Plateau Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Caroline Dafur, in Abuja.
Benjamins-Laniyi explained that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had authorized the secretariat to conduct a comprehensive profiling and recertification of all orphanages operating within the territory. She stated that this decision stemmed from the need to ensure the safety and legitimacy of orphanage operations in Abuja.
She further revealed that the secretariat was collaborating with Dafur to facilitate the reunion of the children with their families, noting that some of the children had been under the care of the unaccredited orphanage since 2019.