Edo Govt Arrests Woman Over Alleged Illegal Orphanage and Adoption Scam

(Photo by Super fm)

According to the Edo State Government, Grace Efe Uwadia was detained for running the Uwadia Children Home, an illegal orphanage, in Afuze, Owan East Local Government Area.

In a statement on Thursday, Euginia Abdallah, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, confirmed Uwadia's arrest and stated that a suspected adoption scam was the reason.

She said that while ministry officials were already meeting to expand the search for such facilities in other parts of the state, Uwadia had been turned over to the Edo State Police Command for additional investigation and prosecution. 

She disclosed that Monday Akpaduma, a victim who had complained to the ministry about anomalies in an adoption process, was the one who initiated the incident.

According to a senior ministry employee, Akpaduma claimed to have paid ₦250,000 as a processing fee when he first requested to adopt a kid through the orphanage. He allegedly stated that before the child could be released to him, he was requested to pay an extra ₦1 million.

He reportedly became suspicious and went straight to the ministry after being told that the adoption price had been raised to ₦2 million by the ministry after protracted delays.

"All of the documents that Mr. Akpaduma presented were fraudulent and did not originate from the ministry, despite being issued on an old ministry letterhead," the senior staff member said after an internal investigation was promptly initiated.

According to her, investigations revealed that a member of the Owan East Local Government Council's Social Welfare Department was the source of the documents, raising the possibility of cooperation with the illegal orphanage in carrying out the purported criminal actions.

However, the employee revealed that since the local government official was not in the office during the operation, he could not be taken into custody. 

He might not have been present when ministry representatives visited the council since he vacated his position after learning of the visit from the ministry. All those involved in the illicit activity will be held accountable, and efforts are underway to capture him.

"We can also confirm that the illegal orphanage's owner has been turned over to the Benin state police command for additional investigation and prosecution."