Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command have rescued two missing children, nine months after they disappeared in Onitsha.
The victims, Sunday Aliya (14) and Ebenezer Emmanuel (12), were found after an intensive, intelligence-led operation that spanned several states across Nigeria.
According to the police, the case was first reported at Fegge Police Station on January 18, 2025, after the boys’ guardian sent them to fetch water from a nearby borehole, but they never returned home.
Police spokesperson, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said in a statement that the case was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, for further investigation.
Acting on credible intelligence, detectives tracked and arrested a suspect, one Yusuf, in Katsina State.
Ikenga said the suspect’s confession led the team to Umunede, Delta State, where Sunday Aliya was rescued.
Further investigation also led to the recovery of Ebenezer Emmanuel in Benin City, Edo State.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, commended the officers for their perseverance and professionalism throughout the operation.
He assured that the Command would continue to pursue every lead in any case, no matter how long it takes, to ensure justice is served.
CP Orutugu also thanked members of the public for their cooperation and urged residents to keep supporting the police with useful information.
The statement adds that the parents of the rescued boys, who live in Ilorin, Kwara State, have been contacted, and arrangements are underway for their formal reunion.
Writing by Uche Ndeke