- The Uyo Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Emmanuel Awhen, shared the details during an interview
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has successfully rescued an eight-year-old boy who had been missing for over a year.
The boy, who was declared missing on 1 September 2023 while playing with his elder brother in their compound in Port Harcourt, was reunited with his parents after being rescued by NAPTIP.
The Uyo Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Emmanuel Awhen, shared the details during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo.
According to Awhen, the boy was stolen by an individual who has yet to be apprehended. NAPTIP’s Abuja office rescued the boy and handed him over to the Uyo zonal command, which used television and social media to trace his biological parents.
The boy’s mother, Comfort Ibanga, a petty trader from Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, expressed her gratitude to God and NAPTIP for reuniting her family. She recounted how they sought help from various religious leaders during their ordeal but to no avail, until NAPTIP’s intervention.
Awhen also urged parents to be vigilant, noting that child theft cases are becoming increasingly common, often involving familiar individuals like neighbors and friends. The family expressed profound relief after their long search for their missing son came to a successful end on 8 November.