The Anambra State Police Command has rescued two missing children, Sunday Aliya (14) and Ebenezer Emmanuel (12), after an intensive nine-month nationwide search that spanned several states.
The two boys, who were declared missing on January 18, 2025, after going to fetch water in Fegge, Onitsha, were eventually found in Umunede, Delta State, and Benin City, Edo State, following an intelligence-driven operation led by officers of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Gender Section.
The breakthrough was announced on Wednesday in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga.“Operatives of the Police Command in Anambra attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Gender Section, have successfully rescued two missing children, Sunday Aliya, 14, and Ebenezer Emmanuel, 12,” Ikenga stated.
“The rescue followed nine months of intensive and intelligence-led investigation that extended across several states of the federation.”
According to the statement, the case was first reported at the Fegge Police Station on January 18, when the guardian of the children informed the authorities that they had not returned home after being sent to fetch water at a nearby borehole.
The matter was subsequently transferred to the SCID, Awka, for a comprehensive investigation. Acting on credible intelligence, police operatives traced and arrested a suspect identified as Yusuf in Katsina State, whose interrogation provided key leads that guided the rescue mission.
“The suspect’s confession led detectives to Umunede, Delta State, where one of the victims, Sunday Aliya, was rescued.
Further investigation led to the recovery of the second victim, Ebenezer Emmanuel, in Benin City, Edo State,” the statement added.
Commending the operatives, the Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, lauded their professionalism, persistence, and use of intelligence in tracking down the victims across multiple states.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to pursuing every case to a logical conclusion, regardless of how long it takes, to ensure justice and the safety of residents.
Orutugu also expressed appreciation to members of the public whose timely information contributed to the success of the operation, urging continued cooperation with law enforcement through credible intelligence sharing.
Meanwhile, the police have contacted the boys’ parents, who reside in Ilorin, Kwara State, and arrangements are being made for their formal reunification.
