Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho : Delta Police Command Debunks Allegations Of Trafficking Rescued Children

By Daniel Dafe

Delta State Police Command has reacted to several online publications credited to one Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho, a self-acclaimed human right activist and State Coordinator, Take it back (TIB), Delta State Chapter, that alleged that Police Officers of the Command, after rescuing victims of child trafficking, hand over the rescued children to the Ministry of Women Affairs in a way of aiding the Commissioner of Police Delta State Command, in trafficking the rescued children.

In a statement on Monday, signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Edafe Bright, the police said “one question which remained unanswered by the said Aghogho is how handing over found children to the Government Ministry empowered by the constitution of Nigeria to take custody of such children translates to child trafficking?”

Adding: “For the avoidance of doubt and for the purpose of clarification, the Command wishes to emphasize that it is solely the responsibility of either the State or federal government to cater for a found child and provide requisite facilities or ensure that the facilities are provided by approved adoption services as may be prescribed by the appropriate authority when, and if the need arises.”

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Citing Section 125 and Section 174-178 of the Child Right Act, the police said that the processes of adoption which extends to the custody of found children, was expressly spelt out.

According to the statement, the police said the “Command has done no wrong by handing over any child found in the State to the State ministry under which purview such responsibility falls,” adding “if the self-acclaimed activist is not comfortable with the law as it is stated in the Child’s Right Act of Nigeria, he can and is advised to seek redress in the court of law.”

Furthermore, the police said that Aghogho’s aim is to blackmail the Command “into abandoning the numerous criminal cases against him with a view to escaping justice.”

“The Command will not fold its hands, watch a misinformed, ill-intended and disgruntled individual rubbish its good work, drag the Command to the mud or make comments that are capable of bringing the name of the Commissioner of Police into disrepute.
The Command will therefore take every necessary step to ensure that he is brought to justice sooner than later,” the statement added.