The Anambra State Police Command has rescued two boys, 14-year-old Sunday Aliya and 12-year-old Ebenezer Emmanuel, who had been missing for nine months.
Police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, announced the development in a statement on Wednesday in Awka, revealing that the children were found in Delta and Edo states following an intensive, nationwide investigation.
According to Ikenga, the case was first reported on January 18 at Fegge Police Station, after the boys’ guardian sent them to fetch water from a nearby borehole but they never returned home. The matter was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Awka for further investigation.
He explained that police operatives, acting on credible intelligence, arrested a suspect identified as Yusuf in Katsina State. “During interrogation, the suspect provided vital information that led to the rescue of Sunday Aliya in Umunede, Delta State, and subsequently, Ebenezer Emmanuel in Benin City, Edo State,” Ikenga stated.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Ikioye Orutugu, commended the officers for their perseverance and professionalism throughout the investigation. He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to pursuing justice, regardless of how long an investigation takes.
Orutugu also thanked members of the public for their cooperation and urged them to continue providing useful information to assist police efforts.
The parents of the rescued boys, who reside in Ilorin, Kwara State, have been contacted, and arrangements are underway to reunite them with their children.