Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna state has banned fostering and adoption of children due to what he described as ‘’abuses by orphanage homes in the state’’.

 

According to the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Hafsat Baba who spoke on behalf of the governor, the ban would remain in force until the government sanitise the system of adoption and fostering of children in the state.

 

“When we came on board, we found out that people just turn their houses into orphanages and get these children, but won’t give them out for fostering or adoption.

 

“Rather, they use them as a business to get donations and that is what they capitalise on to feed their own children.

 

“We have also found out that children were being sold, so we felt that this is a very serious issue that needs our intervention.

 

“There is one Ghanaian man accused of buying three children in Zaria, we have collected these children from him but he took us to court and we are in court now. The man is accused of buying the baby boy for N400, 000 and the baby girls for N350, 000.’’

 

“We wrote to the governor seeking approval to stop fostering and adoption because we don’t know where the children are been taken to.

 

“Some are being sold or trafficked, some are exposed to serious dangers; we even learnt that some of their organs are being sold.

 

The commissioner also said it will seek justice for those children and some of the related issues which are already before the courts.