*We take babies to orphanages on ministry’s directives – Police
By Efemena David
The 83-year-old founder of Arrows of God Orphanage in Anambra State, which was sealed last year, Clara Chinwe, has stated that operatives of the Nigeria Police Force from both Anambra and Lagos states often bring abandoned babies to her orphanage.
She said this during an exclusive interview with this reporter, noting that all the babies brought to the orphanage come with a police extract detailing where and how the babies were found.
My background, antecedent
The retired Lieutenant Colonel said during the interview: “I was trained as a nurse years ago in London and as a professional psychiatric nurse. I lived in Britain for 14 years, got married, and then returned to Nigeria. I worked well in the military and was promoted until I reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. I was in charge of the Armed Forces College of Nursing. I continued to work in the military, and then suddenly, I got a call from God that I should disengage from the army for a special assignment. The Lord spoke to me clearly that nobody cares because babies are dying.
“The call kept coming, and I looked around; babies were dying and nobody cared. The assignment was that I should go and feed them. I lived in the barracks and worked there, so I didn’t understand this. I sought advice from men of God, and they advised me to disengage from the army. So, I started praying and appealed for voluntary retirement.
“After leaving the army, I attended Bible School and completed my studies, earning a master’s degree in public administration in University of Lagos, Unilag. I registered the orphanage with the Corporate Affairs Commission, gathered supporters, and obtained my certificate. I then registered with the Lagos State government and the police, showing them my papers. My training was sound, and I acquired all necessary equipment. I employed nannies and cooks.
Our modus operandi
“Babies don’t come to me directly; the police bring them. The Lagos State Police bring them to us directly while in Anambra State, it’s the people in hospitals that send them to the police. Every letter regarding adoption is addressed to the commissioner of any state I work in. My letters go to their office after the children have stayed with me for three months. It is a requirement that the children stay in the home for three months before the adoptive parents can take them.
“We keep detailed records of all the children in the home. Statistics are done on a monthly basis and submitted to the ministry, court, Department of State Service (DSS) and the police. At the end of the process, we compile statistics in Lagos State and send them to the commissioner, as well as to the Anambra State authorities, if I am in Anambra.
Every child brought to us is documented. I run the orphanage home according to the rules and regulations stipulated by both states I operate, Lagos and Anambra. We don’t search for babies neither do we go around gathering babies or children. The ministry brings them to us, when young girls come to us, we direct them back to the ministry, when people bring abandoned children to us, we direct them to the police/ministry.”
What child adoption entails
Speaking on the process for child adoption, the 83-year-old retiree further said, “We normally go to the ministry and they give us a paper for requirements of adoption. These papers are what we give to anyone coming to adopt a child with a payment of N5, 000 as registration so that the papers can be prepared for them. If they send their files through Lagos, it’s N25,000 because they cover transport. This is all part of registration. We register them as potential foster parents and start looking for a baby for them.
“Sometimes we have babies and sometimes we do not. Statistics show in the military and in the police, the number of babies that we have. Then, when eventually they come and they want a baby, they pay for the registration, we make photocopies of files, give them a copy, and keep ours.
“The orphanage home is running as usual. We only have suspended the adoption process till the case is over, and even at that, the Ministry of Women Affairs in Awka still sends us prospective parents. The home has been open since December 6th, 2023.”
Police state case
When our correspondent called the spokesman to the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, regarding the claim of Mrs. Chinwe, he said, “We don’t take babies to any private orphanage home; rather we take them to the Ministry of Youth And Social Development.”
On his part, spokesman of Anambra State Police Command, SP Ikenga Tochukwu added, “When we recover babies, we take them to the state Ministry of Women Affairs. What they do afterward is what we don’t know.”
The backstory
Recall that on June 3, 2024, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) arraigned Clara Chinwe in Anambra State for alleged buying and selling of human beings. She was granted bail and only remanded until the bail conditions were met.
