Tensions are boiling over at the Imo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare following an explosive child adoption scandal that has now triggered international consequences for the state. A senior officer in the Department of Child Development (name withheld) has been fingered in multiple cases of alleged document fraud, forcing foreign embassies, including the American Embassy in Abuja, to blacklist Imo State adoption applications.
Frustrated adoptive parents told journalists that visa applications for children adopted from Imo State are now being summarily rejected abroad due to irregularities tied to documents signed by the said officer. Sources revealed that many prospective parents, especially from the United States and Europe, have been denied entry visas for their adopted children, with embassies outrightly refusing to process any documents bearing the official’s signature.
Investigations by Trumpeta Newspaper uncovered that child adoption in Imo has turned into a cash-driven racket, with parents allegedly paying large sums only to later discover that their documents are deemed “invalid” by embassies. Applicants described scenes of public embarrassment and emotional trauma when visa officers abroad flagged their papers as questionable.
A US-based adoptive parent, Dr. Japheth Ukwuoma, described how his entire family was thrown into turmoil after the US Embassy rejected his adopted child’s visa solely because the controversial officer signed her papers. “One man should not be allowed to ruin the future of innocent children and the hopes of families trying to give them a better life,” he said.
Repeated attempts by reporters to get a response from the officer at both the Women Affairs Ministry office on Port Harcourt Road and the Family Court on Orlu Road proved futile, with staff citing his “busy court schedule” as the reason he couldn’t speak.
Meanwhile, internal sources say discontent is brewing within the ministry, with many staffers and affected parents now openly calling for the official’s immediate removal or reassignment. Civil society groups have also begun demanding a full-scale government probe into the scandal to restore Imo State’s battered image in the international adoption community.
Calls for swift action are growing louder as foreign missions continue to maintain the blacklist on adoption documents originating from Imo State until further notice.
