The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has shut a children disabilities home at Ota-Efun,in Osogbo, the state capital.
The Corps’ state command said the action followed an intelligence report that the facility lacked the necessary resources to properly care for the children.
According to the state command’s corps commandant, Igbalawole Sotiyo, who was represented by his Deputy, Abeere Oluwafemi, accompanied by the Head of the Unit for Persons with Disabilities, Deputy Superintendent of Corps, Rita Olaniru, the command acted based on a tip-off from the public.
In a statement,the command’s spokesman, Kehinde Adeleke,said that, upon arrival, operatives observed that the children were malnourished.
He said it was also discovered that the home was not registered with the relevant authorities, raising serious concerns about the children’s welfare.
Sotiyo, who ordered the seal-off, revealed that the command contacted the parents and guardians of the children for their pickup, but they refused. A discreet investigation showed that the children had been abandoned by their parents, who had stopped making payments for services and could not be reached.
He further stated that the command had informed the Osun State Bureau for Persons with Disabilities to take appropriate action.
Commandant Sotiyo advised parents and guardians to thoroughly vet care facilities before entrusting their children to them. He added that the NSCDC is working with key stakeholders in the state to ensure the safety and protection of persons with disabilities.
