Deborah Ogo, the 83-year-old proprietor of Arrows of God Orphanage Home, has been placed in custody pending trial for her alleged role in a baby trafficking ring.
An exhaustive undercover investigation by Fisayo Soyombo, founder of FIJ, uncovered evidence of illicit activities at the orphanage, including the sale of a five-month-old infant to Soyombo himself for N2 million in July 2023.
Despite her background as a retired military officer and nurse, Ogo was deemed culpable of purchasing and selling babies and was subsequently remanded at the Onitsha Correctional Facility.
Consequent to the investigation, the orphanage’s premises in Lagos and Anambra State have been sealed, and Ogo has entered a not guilty plea. The case has been adjourned until July 10, 2024.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) launched a comprehensive probe into the matter following FIJ’s expose, culminating in Ogo’s arrest on October 3, 2023, at the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare in Awka, Anambra State.