The Edo State Government has shut down an orphanage home in Afuze, Owan East Local Government Area, over alleged irregular adoption practices and handed the operator to security agencies for investigation.*
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Eugenia Abdallah, disclosed this on Thursday, August 13, 2026, during a press briefing in Benin City.
She said the closure followed investigations into suspected irregularities at the facility.
According to her, the intervention reflects the Ministry’s resolve to ensure that children’s homes operate within approved standards and that children are protected from exploitation and illegal adoption.
“The operator was handed over to the appropriate law-enforcement authorities for further investigation and possible prosecution,” Abdallah stated.
The Commissioner also disclosed that a 53-year-old Nigerian deportee from the United States, Mr. Peter Guobadia, has been reunited with his family by the state government.
She said Guobadia was found wandering in Benin City in a distressed mental condition and was rescued by the government.
He was subsequently provided with medical and psychiatric treatment before being reunited with his family.
