An investigative journalist has accused the Lagos State Government and the Police of complicity in what appears to be a cover-up involving the alleged secret handover of a 10-year-old disputed paternity child to suspected traffickers, bypassing due process and ignoring established child protection laws.
Juliana Francis, editor of Security News Alert, made the allegation through two separate Freedom of Information (FoI) requests dated June 16, 2025. The requests were addressed respectively to the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command.
According to the requests, Francis is seeking clarification on why both the Ministry of Youth and Social Development and the Police Gender Unit allegedly colluded to release the minor, identified as Kosarachi, to one of the claimants who reportedly trafficked her into Lagos from Imo State.
The case, originally lodged at the Festac Police Station before being transferred to the Gender Unit, involves serious allegations of child trafficking, physical abuse, child labour, paternity fraud, and denial of education. Reports say the child was consistently brutalised by her guardian, Ifeoma Okoye, using the heels of a shoe — a woman said to have been aided by her church, Christ Holy Church International, to evade justice.
Despite the gravity of the offences, the investigative reporter questioned why no arrests have been made against the suspects, including Okoye, who allegedly remains at large; and why key individuals such as Mrs. Chikodi (purported mother) and one Gift (alleged aunt), who reportedly facilitated the trafficking and received monthly payments for the child’s labour, were not detained when they appeared before the Lagos Police Command.
The FoI requests further revealed that a non-governmental organisation had already paid for a DNA test to resolve the paternity dispute. However, the child was allegedly released without undergoing the test — a move the journalist described as a violation of child protection protocols.
Another disturbing detail raised was the N220,000 allegedly collected by officers at the Festac Police Division from the church under the pretext of tracking Okoye, who remains unaccounted for.
Quoting multiple sections of the Child Rights Act (CRA) and the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, the requests emphasized that the parties involved had violated laws prohibiting child abuse, child labour, and trafficking. The Child Rights Law mandates the protection of every child from physical or emotional harm, deprivation of education, forced labour, and domestic servitude.
Section 14 of the CRA affirms every child’s right to free and compulsory basic education, while Section 25 prohibits the employment of children as domestic help outside their family environment. The NAPTIP Act also criminalises trafficking and labour exploitation, regardless of the victim’s consent, especially when a child is involved.
The FoI requests were also copied to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Family Social Services in Alimosho, and other relevant departments, seeking transparency and justice in what appears to be a grave miscarriage of the law.
As of the time of filing this report, no official response has been made public by either the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development or the Police Command.