Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Edo State Government has arrested the operator of an illegal orphanage, Grace Efe Uwadia, following a shocking adoption scam that saw a prospective father allegedly pay escalating fees, from an initial N250,000 processing fee to a final demand of N2 million. The suspect was apprehended after a formal complaint was lodged by a victim identified as Monday Akpaduma, who had approached the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to report irregularities in an adoption process he had initiated.
According to officials, the bizarre scheme unfolded when Akpaduma applied to adopt a child through Uwadia Children Home, an illegal facility located in Afuze, Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State. After he paid a N250,000 processing fee demanded by the orphanage, he was allegedly informed that an additional N1 million was required before the child could be released to him. After prolonged delays and mounting financial pressure, he was shockingly informed that the adoption fee had been increased again, this time to N2 million, and was falsely told that this increase came directly from the state ministry.
This final demand raised Akpaduma's suspicion. He decided to verify the information directly with the government, prompting an immediate internal investigation by the ministry. The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Euginia Abdallah, who confirmed the arrest in a statement on Thursday, revealed that a probe uncovered a sophisticated forgery operation. Investigators discovered that all the adoption documents presented by Akpaduma were fraudulent and had not originated from the ministry, though they were cleverly issued on an old, outdated ministry letterhead. The investigation also pointed to possible collusion, linking a staff member of the Social Welfare Department in Owan East Local Government Council, identified as Mr. Vincent Ogbodo, as the source of the forged documents.
Following the discovery, a team moved swiftly to shut down the illegal facility. The proprietress, Grace Efe Uwadia, was arrested and has since been handed over to the Edo State Police Command at the Aideyan Police Station in Benin City for further investigation and prosecution. Meanwhile, all children found at the orphanage have been evacuated from the facility and moved to a safe government location. Officials confirmed that some of the children are currently receiving medical treatment.
As of the time of this report, the suspected accomplice from the local government council, Vincent Ogbodo, remains at large. A senior ministry staff member disclosed that when ministry officials visited the council, the staff member was not present. “He may have heard of the visit from the ministry and left his seat, so he was not around when ministry officials visited the council,” the staff member told Punch. However, authorities have assured the public that efforts are ongoing to apprehend him, stressing that all individuals connected to the illegal operation will be brought to justice.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Euginia Abdallah, used the opportunity to issue a stern warning to operators of similar illegal facilities across the state. She emphasized that the Edo State Government has zero tolerance for exploitation, fraud, or any form of illegal practice involving vulnerable children. She also reiterated that the ministry does not charge arbitrary or inflated fees for adoption and urged members of the public to always verify information directly with the ministry before entering into any adoption agreement.
This incident has exposed a dark loophole in the adoption system where desperate parents seeking to build families are being preyed upon by criminal syndicates. The case of Monday Akpaduma, who was allegedly led to believe he was navigating a legal adoption process while being extorted for millions of naira, highlights the vulnerability of individuals who may be unaware of official government procedures. As the suspect sits in police custody awaiting prosecution, the state government has assured that a wider search is underway for similar facilities operating illegally in other parts of the state.
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