How Abia Authorities Found 3 Missing Children Kidnapped From Ikwuano LGA

The last of the three missing children from Amaoba Ime - Oboro in Ikwuano LGA, Abia State, has finally been found. Sources from the office of the Transition Committee Chairman of Ikwuano LGA, Hon. Osinachi Nwaka, confirmed to All Facts Newspaper on Thursday that the youngest child, Israel, aged four, was located in Warri, Delta State.

Hon. Nwaka, when contacted, confirmed the development but stated that he would provide more details once the boy arrives home. Israel, along with his siblings Gideon (8) and Divine (6), was abducted on May 10, 2024.

Divine was the first to be rescued on May 21, 2024, in Ekwulobia, Anambra State, through a coordinated effort involving officers from the Abia State Police Command, Homeland Security, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). Gideon was found shortly after on May 23, 2024.

The children disappeared when their grandmother entrusted them to a motorcyclist, commonly known as an okada rider, who vanished with them. Hon. Nwaka, who led the search operation, had vowed to leave no stone unturned in their quest to bring the children home safely.

Speaking to the press after the two older children were found, Nwaka shared, "The incident gave me sleepless nights. It was a continuous series of meetings with the parents, security officials, and other stakeholders."

He expressed deep gratitude to Abia State Governor Alex Otti, the State Commissioner of Police, and other security agency heads for their support in ensuring the children's safe return. He reassured the public that the authorities are intensifying their efforts to locate the remaining child, using all available information.

Nwaka also highlighted the growing issue of child-trafficking cartels in Abia State's rural communities. He called for the cooperation of journalists and the public to help expose and dismantle these syndicates.

"There are syndicates in every local government trading in children. It's shocking that someone paid N1.8 million for one of the boys' lives," he said. He detailed how these groups charm or bewitch children, move them to so-called motherless babies' homes, and then sell them for various nefarious purposes, including money rituals, organ harvesting, or adoption.

Nwaka revealed a significant breakthrough in the case when a Reverend Sister involved in the cartel was apprehended. "The Reverend Sister, who acted as the middle person distributing the children and taking her cut, remains in the State CID till today," he noted.