Lagos Govt Shuts 5 Orphanages Over Baby Trafficking

In the past year, the Lagos State Government has shut down no fewer than five orphanages for various offences, including “baby trafficking” and breaches of the “State Child Rights Law of 2015”.

This information was made public by the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende, during the “2025 Ministerial Press Briefing” held on Tuesday to mark Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second year in office.

Ogunlende stated that the closures were part of a broader effort to eliminate illegal practices and ensure the protection of children’s rights throughout the state.

“We have a duty to protect the most vulnerable members of our society, which is why our officers work round the clock.

“Any facility found to be engaging in unwholesome activities such as baby trafficking will be decisively dealt with; we have the records with us,” he stated.

He noted that the ministry has a specialized monitoring unit that is responsible for enforcing regulatory standards and safeguarding the welfare of children in orphanages and care homes.

“Our monitoring team is constantly in the field, ensuring that these homes are operating within the ambit of the law,” he said.

In addition, Ogunlende pointed out the ministry’s wider commitment to social development, revealing that more than 4,000 young people had received vocational training over the past year.

“We are committed to empowering our young people. Through targeted skills acquisition programmes, more than 4,000 youths have been trained to become self-reliant.

“Training in vocations such as tailoring, fish farming, ICT; they are at liberty to choose any vocation of their choices,” he said.