Abia lawmaker calls for regulation of orphanages to curb child trafficking

|By Adejumo Adekunle-

…Boniface raises alarm over baby factories disguised as care homes
…House urges Women Affairs Ministry to enforce stricter licensing laws

A lawmaker representing Ikwuano constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Isienyi Boniface, has urged the state government to immediately regulate the operations of orphanage homes in Abia to tackle the rising menace of child abduction and trafficking.

Leading a debate on the motion during the plenary session, Boniface warned that while orphanage homes are traditionally meant to shelter and care for abandoned and vulnerable children, some are allegedly operating as hubs for child trafficking, abduction, and psychological abuse.

He decried the alarming reports of orphanages engaging in activities that violate the rights of children, noting that some facilities fail to conduct background checks on their staff and volunteers. According to him, this negligence exposes children to individuals with questionable character, thereby creating an unsafe environment under the pretense of care.

Boniface further blamed the absence of effective regulation for the proliferation of so-called “baby factories” masked as legitimate orphanage homes across the state.

He called on the Abia State Ministry of Women Affairs to conduct a comprehensive regulatory sweep across all orphanage homes. This, he said, would enable the ministry to maintain accurate data of children in custody and ensure adoptive parents are properly profiled—making it easier to trace children’s whereabouts when needed.

In addition, the lawmaker advocated for the establishment and strict enforcement of licensing protocols to prevent unauthorized or criminally-motivated individuals from running such facilities.

Speaker of the House, Emmanuel Emeruwa, applauded Boniface for raising the motion, affirming his concerns and lending his full support to the proposals.