NAPTIP warns couples on illegal child adoption

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons has cautioned couples who adopt babies from orphanages to always follow the appropriate legal processes.

The Executive Secretary of the agency, Mr. Simon Egede, who gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday, regretted that many such couples engaged in illegal adoption of babies.

He said cases of illegal adoption of babies had become a common phenomenon in some parts of the country, where some offending couples had been arrested and brought to book by law enforcement agencies.

“The practice should be condemned in its entirety. It is a matter for regret that more couples are being implicated daily.

“It is an unfortunate development. It is most unacceptable. Some of the culprits were recently arrested in the South-East and are currently being prosecuted at the Federal High Court, Enugu. 

He said, “We hope the prosecution will be successful to serve as a deterrent to others who engage in child trafficking. 

“It is wrong, you cannot harvest babies and sell them as commodities like goods. If ordinary animals don’t sell one of their own, why should we sell our own children.

“Efforts should be made to check the background of those who come forward for the babies. Some of them may be buying the babies for rituals. Some of them murder the children and sell the body parts. It is very wrong, we must all rise to the challenge.”

Egede stressed the need to carry out advocacy and awareness programmes on the issue to further sensitise the public to the dangers involved. 

He said, “Trafficking in persons has become a major challenge in the country, hence the need for all hands to be on deck to fight the menace.

“It is important for everyone to realise the evil involved. Everyone needs to be aware of the antics, lies and deceit of traffickers.

“This is the message that we are carrying to everyone. We can say that the awareness has become more open to every Nigerian. Everybody is now aware that the streets of Europe are not flowing with gold.

“There is unemployment in Europe. There are no jobs all over the world; there is global economic recession. Nobody needs to be deceived or duped.’’