The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sealed Divine Hope Orphanage and Less Privileged Home, located in Kagini, Abuja, following allegations of illegal child trafficking and serious violations of child welfare regulations.
The closure was confirmed on Monday by the Director of Child Development at the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, Idris Attah, who said the action was taken to allow for a comprehensive investigation into the operations of the facility.
According to an official statement, the proprietress of the orphanage, Grace Ebele Chibuzor, allegedly absconded with an unspecified number of children to an unknown location without informing or obtaining clearance from the Child Development Department of the Secretariat.
The statement noted that the orphanage was sealed with effect from January 5, 2026, pending the outcome of investigations into its activities and compliance with child protection laws in the FCT.
Preliminary findings have reportedly linked the facility to a recent case involving four siblings who were allegedly taken from Ado in Nasarawa State and relocated to Gwagwalada in the FCT without due process. The children—Joefreey Kasal Asoja, 11; David Mtsewe Asoja, 7; Joy Elsan Asoja, 4; and Joseph Asoja, 2—were reunited with their biological parents on Monday.
Investigators have also uncovered an alleged connection between the orphanage and Anderson Archibong, the Executive Secretary of the National Council of Child Rights Advocates of Nigeria, who is currently said to be on the run. Authorities suspect that this relationship may have been used to facilitate the illegal movement of children from states including Benue and Nasarawa into Abuja for unauthorised fostering and adoption.
Attah urged members of the public with credible information on the whereabouts of the missing children or suspects linked to the case to promptly report to the nearest security agency, as investigations continue.