For the family of Barr. Arinze Nzewi, life has been as good as cruel to them. While other families were celebrating the birthday anniversary of their children, his is a different ball game.
Barr. Nzewi, a legal practitioner based in Federal Capital Territory FCT, Abuja came home with his family for Christmas celebration in 2020 but couldn’t return back to Abuja full house.
They were “marking” the two years anniversary of the abduction of their son Chinemelum Ephraim Nzewi with tears, supplications and prayers.
However, in an Exclusive chat with our reporter, Barr. Nzewi recounts how it all happened, steps taken so far and how it has shattered his work.
Excerpts
How my son was abducted
The date was January 3, 2021. My son was standing in front of our building at at Amichi Nnewi South LGA of Anambra State. I was not around. I and my wife went out that fateful Sunday. But my mum was around in the house when it happened. I was called on phone that somebody took my child.
I didn’t want to make any story out of it. I had to rush home immediately. Initially, I didn’t know it was going to degenerate to this level. When I got home, many people have gathered in my house.
They told me that one man on bike came down from his bike, called my son and took him away on his bike. It was by the grace of God that my wife was able to survive the trauma. She was heavily pregnant, and I am sure you know that such condition for such kind of incident.
I reported to the Police and other law
Expectedly, we reported the incident to the police and other law enforcement agencies. But, unfortunately, the treatment we received from the Nigeria Police was so cruel to say the least.
The police demanded that we should give them N20,000 for fuel which we gave them. Few days later, they demanded for another N20,000 for for fuel which my mother gave them.
I was giving them without any tangible result. I am a lawyer of a great repute but I was bereaved of ideas of what to do. I was helpless. My years of training and legal practice never prepared me for this unfortunate incident. I have never in my life thought that I will experience this kind of thing.
As if that is not enough, one man was later arrested for allegedly trafficking children. Police called all of us whose children were missing and demanded that we pay N150,000 each to recover our children.
Out of about ten of us who have similar case, only me and one another person couldn’t recover their children after paying the N150,000.
I have been shattered
The incident to say the least has shattered my family, my business and plan in life.
Though I later begot another two male children, I still feel pained that my first child, my first son is still somewhere in the hands of a stranger.
This is because I believe strongly that my child is still alive and in the hands of some criminals.
It is very sad and unfortunate that my other two sons don’t know their brother; my abducted son. They have not seen him for once.
Failure of police and NAPTIP
I wish to tell you that the Nigeria Police Force and The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters(NAPTIP) especially in Anambra state.
They did nothing recover my child, rather they were hell bent on using the opportunity to milk me pretending that they are looking for my child.
I wish to state it clear here that there is a growing cartel in Anambra who engage in kidnapping little children and selling these children out to people in other states.
I had the experience when I went to Port Harcourt in search of my abducted child. There in Port Harcourt, many children who were recovered from their parents were from far away states like Kwara state, Delta and even Anambra.
He was 3yrs when he got kidnapped. He is 5yrs old now. He was kidnapped on 3rd January 2021. His name is Chinemelum Ephraim Nzewi. He was kidnapped at Amichi Nnewi South LGA of Anambra State.
Appeal to the general public
As I mark the second year of abduction of my child, I passionately appeal to the general public to help me with useful information on the whereabouts of my son. I still believe that he is alive.
Anyone with useful information will be rewarded handsomely. My phone no is 08034972599. I will be eternally grateful if my son is recovered from the hands of these criminals; his abductors.