Anambra State Women and Social Welfare Commissioner Ify Obinabo has rescued four children who were forcefully taken away from their mother for nine months.
The rescue was done at the weekend at Worliwor Onitsha after Mrs Chinenye Orajiaka made complaint to the office of the commissioner, alleging that her sister in law Ndidi Orajiaka is with her children and has refused her custody or access to them.
According to the complainant, the whole issue started when her husband Izuchukwu Orajiaka separated from her and took the children while they were still in Lagos.
She noted that since then she’s been going around looking for her four kids without knowing that they have been sent to live with her sister in law who has been maltreating them for the period of nine months.
Chinenye explained that all efforts to get her children had not been fruitful until she came to the ministry and got result.
Speaking immediately after receiving the children, the Women and Social Welfare Commissioner Hon Obinabo lamented the extent of wickedness mated out to the children and noted how unkempt and malnourished they were.
Hon Obinabo, who spoke through her Special Assistant Mrs Blessing Nweke, reminded Ndị Anambra that the present Soludo administration abhors rascality and prioritizes children safety. She called on everyone who has in one way or another been involved in maltreating children to desist forthwith or face the consequences.
On his part, one of the staff of the Honourable Commissioner who was sent on the rescue mission, Dr Udochukwu Ilo Favour revealed that the culprit Ndidi Orajiaka had earlier kept the kids under lock and key which made it difficult for security officers to rescue them.
Dr Ilo stated that when they got to the place the kids were excited to see their mother and pleaded that they be taken away from there.
Meanwhile, the suspect Ndidi has denied maltreating the children and said they only look unkempt because they are lazy.
The rescued children on their part noted that since they started living with their Auntie they’ve not been to school for a period of nine months and have been the ones doing all the domestic chores in the house.
They said that they eat their breakfast around 11am in the morning which is the time their auntie usually goes to the market and that their major work is fetching water from a long distance and washing clothes belonging to their auntie.
As at the time of this report, the suspect alongside the father of the children have been mandated to appear before the Honourable Commissioner on Tuesday for further action.
