By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri
Gunmen have kidnapped four kids in Amako Autonomous community in Njaba LGA of Imo state and taken them to an unknown destination.
A community source said the incident happened on Saturday, 27 May, 2023, but information about their whereabouts is still unknown.
The anonymous source revealed that the four minors whose ages fall between 4 to 9 years, were said to be playing at their house in Amako alongside four other children when a two-day old female neighbour (name unknown) took them to barbing salon.
Hear him, “the mother of the kids went to the market leaving her four children at home to play with their fellow minors. Two of the four kidnapped children actually belong to one Mrs. Chinasa while the other two are her elder sister’s children living in the same house.
“But when the new neighbour came out and told the children to follow her to a barbing salon to cut their hair, the kids were happy to do that. She took them away and never came back.
“It was the mother who reported the issue to the police after she had searched around for the children without success.
“The victims’ mother, Chinasa said that the new neighbour was only two days old in the compound and was not that close to her. Although, she plays and admires her children but they had not exchanged phone numbers as to know where to find her.
“She gave the children’s names as Joy, Charles, Jemine and Pere Ebi.
“Six days after, the kids are nowhere to be found and the woman has also been at large. Both the police and other security agents have tried, in vain to locate the hideout of the bandits.”
An indigene of Amako community who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the local vigilante group which earlier waded into the matter before calling the attention of the police, had apprehended the house agent who brought the woman as well as the landlord but each of them claimed innocent of the situation.
“For whatever reason those little children were kidnapped has remained a mystery. This is six days after, yet they have not been found including the lady who took them out for barbing.
“The eleven communities in Njaba including Ugbelle-Akah Autonomous community are in great fear of the unknown as several efforts has been made by the Akah-Ebiri Security Network comprising of ten autonomous communities, to no avail.”
When contacted, the Imo Police Spokesman, ASP Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident, adding that the command is on top of the matter.
