Virgin Heart Foundation Urges Imo State Government to Prioritize Child Safety Amid Concerns of Baby Factory Incidents.
The Virgin Heart Foundation has called on the Imo State Government, under the leadership of Governor Hope Uzodinma, to intensify efforts towards ensuring the safety and protection of children across the state. This follows the retrieval of a newborn delivered by a mentally unstable woman at a roadside block industry in Akabo, Ikeduru Local Government Area.
Executive Director of the Foundation, Peace Dike, raised this concern in the wake of the incident, which highlights broader issues of child vulnerability and the lingering threat of baby factories in the state a concern previously flagged by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
According to Dike, the foundation was alerted to the incident on August 5, 2025, by Akobundu Erondu, the owner of the block industry where the woman gave birth. Local women in the area assisted in the delivery before both mother and child were taken to New Life Maternity and Clinic for medical attention.
The woman, who suffers from a mental health condition and physical disability, reportedly left the clinic the following day and has since been unaccounted for. The proprietress of the maternity home promptly notified both the Virgin Heart Foundation and the Gender Unit of the Imo State Police Command, who assured follow-up on the welfare of the child.
On August 9, the Virgin Heart Foundation formally wrote to the Imo State Ministry of Women Affairs, requesting the Ministry to take immediate custody of the baby. However, the process faced delays.
According to Prof. Grace Isizor, Director of the Child Protection Network, the maternity home initially declined to release the child to the Ministry. It was only after police intervention that the baby was eventually handed over to the Ministry, which has since placed the child in one of the government-registered orphanages in Owerri.
Dike emphasized that the government must do more to protect vulnerable children and women, particularly survivors of abuse and gender-based violence.
“There have been cases
of children being sold by unregistered and non monitored facilities. The Ministry of Women Affairs, especially through its Child Welfare Department, must ensure transparency, accountability, and the complete eradication of baby-selling in Imo State,” she stated.
She further urged the government to provide dedicated shelters and rehabilitation homes for at-risk populations, including women and children with disabilities.
The Virgin Heart Foundation has committed to tracking this incident to ensure the child’s welfare remains a priority and that the Ministry fulfills its mandate to protect every child in Imo State.