Adijat Adeleye, the Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, reported that the state has taken in a two-day-old baby who was abandoned at Sayedero Market in the Ilaro area of Yewa South Local Government. According to DAILY POST, the infant was discovered by a woman last week and subsequently given to the police. However, in two recently circulated videos, the woman alleged that the baby disappeared after officials from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development became involved, appealing to “kind-hearted individuals to assist in locating the child.” In response to the video, the Commissioner stated that the baby is healthy and was properly placed into protective custody by the ministry following appropriate police documentation. Speaking to reporters on Thursday in Abeokuta, Adeleye remarked that the woman’s behavior was an effort to “manipulate the government emotionally and deceive the public.” The commissioner also dismissed the claims of the woman who discovered the child wanting to adopt. “We usually don’t permit individuals with knowledge of a child’s background to adopt them due to future implications.” “We do not place a child for adoption in a situation where their background is known,” she clarified. Adeleye stated that the infant is now under the guardianship of Governor Dapo Abiodun, whom she referred to as “the father of all rescued babies in the state until they are adopted.” She stated that “Any child discovered in Ogun State is considered property of the state government.” All of them are the children of the governor, which is why we use the governor’s surname when naming them. This practice didn’t begin with Prince Dapo Abiodun; it’s a longstanding tradition. You observe a group of children, some of whom carry the last name Daniel, in reference to former Governor Gbenga Daniel. Others are named Amosun, after former Governor Ibikunle Amosun, and there are those with the surname Abiodun, which varies depending on the timing of their discovery. Adeleye asserted that although there are established regulations and procedures for child adoption in the state, neither orphanages nor individuals can offer a child for adoption without the Ministry’s consent. She cautioned that anyone who attempts this will be prosecuted for abduction and will be held accountable under the law.
