Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
ABAKALIKI, Nigeria — The Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of three young children in a residential area located opposite the Nkwegu Military Cantonment gate in the Abakaliki Local Government Area of the state, triggering alarm and concern among residents and authorities.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, February 7, 2026. The abducted children include a two-year-old boy and two girls, aged four and two, respectively. The victims were reported missing after their parents discovered they had vanished from the family compound.
Ukandu told journalists that the police were alerted to the abduction by the children’s parents and have launched a thorough investigation and rescue operation. As of Sunday evening, no ransom demand had been made by the kidnappers, and no arrests had been recorded. Officers are actively working to locate and safely recover the children.
The state police spokesman confirmed that the suspects reportedly lured the children out of their compound by offering them money to buy snacks — a tactic that has fuelled concern about calculated exploitation of young victims. The abductors are understood to have fled the scene in a waiting commercial tricycle, locally known as a keke.
Officials have urged landlords and residents in Abakaliki and surrounding communities to exercise heightened vigilance and verify the identities of visitors and tenants before granting access to residential compounds. The Commissioner of Police has reiterated earlier advice that prospective tenants should provide credible guarantors and valid identification to reduce the risk of criminal elements infiltrating neighbourhoods.
The abduction — taking place opposite a military facility — underscores ongoing security challenges in the region and has heightened worries among parents and community stakeholders about the safety of children and vulnerable persons. Local residents have called for intensified patrols and collaborative action between the police, military and community groups to prevent similar incidents.
As investigations proceed, police have appealed to members of the public with any information on the whereabouts of the suspects or the abducted children to contact the nearest police station immediately, reinforcing the urgent need for community cooperation in resolving the case.
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