Monday, February 9, 2026 - The Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed the alleged theft of three children belonging to two separate mothers at Nkwagu Village, opposite the Nkwagu Military Cantonment, in Abakaliki Local Government Area of the state.
The incident was reportedly carried out by three
yet-to-be-identified middle-aged women.
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations
Officer (PPRO), SP Joshua Ukandu, said the children were taken from their
residence at Nkwagu Village by the women, who had visited the compound on
February 6, 2026.
According to SP Ukandu, the matter was formally reported by
the parents at the Central Police Station (CPS), Abakaliki, and investigations
are ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and apprehend
the suspects.
He added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Adaku
Uche-Anya, had earlier directed members of the Landlords’ Association in
Abakaliki to always verify the identities of prospective tenants and ensure the
provision of credible guarantors before renting out houses.
It was gathered that the incident, which occurred at about
7:30 a.m. on February 7, 2026, threw the community into panic, drawing
sympathisers as residents gathered in clusters to discuss the disturbing
development.
Some residents who spoke to journalists described the
incident as heartbreaking and expressed concern over what they described as
rising cases of child theft in Ebonyi State.
They called on the state government and relevant authorities
to intensify public enlightenment, particularly for parents and caregivers, on
the dangers of allowing children to associate freely with strangers.
Narrating her ordeal, one of the victims, Mrs. Happiness
Ofunna Gladys, said the suspects had arrived at the compound the previous
night, held discussions with the landlord and were allowed to spend the night
in one of the vacant rooms.
“I went to the market early that morning to buy goods for my
business,” she said.
“While at the market, I received a distress call that my two
children had been stolen. I immediately rushed back home and met people
gathered, discussing what had happened.
“From what my neighbours told me, the same three women who
spent the night in our compound were responsible. They took my two children, a
boy and a girl, both between one and two years old. I am still shocked that
people could come into a neighbourhood solely to steal children without
arousing suspicion.”
She appealed to security agencies to ensure the suspects are
arrested and brought to justice to deter others.
Another victim, Mrs. Nworie Oluchi, said she first noticed
the women on the evening of February 6 when she returned from the market to
prepare dinner.
“I saw the women sitting outside the compound with our
landlord, discussing. I went inside and started cooking without suspecting
anything,” she explained.
She said trouble began the following morning while she was
washing clothes and went to look for her two-year-old son to administer his
medication.
“When I couldn’t find him, I asked his siblings, and they
told me that one of the women had sent him to buy biscuits for the other
children,” she said.
“I rushed to ask the women about my son, and one of them
claimed they sent him to buy biscuits and even offered to help bring him back.
“I went inside briefly to change my clothes, and before I
came out, the children raised an alarm that the women had entered a tricycle
and sped off with the three children.”
She said efforts to raise an alarm came too late, as the
suspects had already escaped.
Meanwhile, attempts to speak with the landlord of the
compound were unsuccessful, as he is currently being detained at the Central
Police Station, Abakaliki, in connection with the incident.
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