Ritualists Release 3-year-old Boy With Shaved Hair After 4 Days In Captivity

Ritualists reportedly abducted a three-year-old boy and prepared him for ritual by shaving his hair. They however hurriedly released him after four days in captivity.

Crime Guard learned that the victim, Munachiso (I am with my God), a pupil of Christ the King Nursery and Primary School in Ibagwa-Ani was in company of his immediate elder brother on their way to visit one of their aunties who delivered a baby when the abductors on a motorcycle intercepted them  and took Munachiso away while his brother stood helpless.

Father of the missing child, Emmanuel Ogbu, 40, a farmer, said he travelled to Enugu on July 13, 2018 while his wife went to her family house when his son was abducted and carried away to an unknown place. He said that when they returned in the evening of that same day and inquired about their son, his immediate elder brother who is six years old told them that they were going to see the new born baby of one of their aunties when  Munachiso, was abducted  and he could not see him again.

According to him, “after hearing from my son, I raised alarm which attracted other villagers and they started searching for the missing boy in all the nooks and crannies of the community without any trace.

 

“The next day I moved to Okpuje police station and Nsukka Area command and reported the case, while the search in my village Umuele, Ibagwa continued.  Ani continued, "we later reported to the traditional ruler of the community and other neighbouring communities of Okpuje, Okutu, Anuka and Okpaligbo Ogu. Two days after, there was no trace of him and in confusion, we went to our parish priest at St. John Parish, Ibagwa Ani and other Pentecostal churches.

Confusion in ritualists’ camp

“Surprisingly, some of the Pentecostal churches told us that he was taken for ritual purpose but would be released after three days as the child had a higher spirit that would not allow them to kill him. On the fourth day, we were on our way to Imo state to see another man of God when my phone rang and I was informed that my child was back. We then came back to the village and behold I saw my child. The kidnappers brought him back and dropped him at Akuma, a nearby village, stark naked with his hair completely shaved and ran away.”

Mr Ogbu said “while questioning the child, the little story that he could recall of what he passed through for the four days was that the people (whom he referred to as the police) covered their faces and each time he cried that he wanted to see his daddy, one woman would give him biscuits to stop crying.

“Few days after his release, we were going to see one man of God nearby and on getting to our village square, the little boy said; ‘Daddy, this is the place that the police (referring to the kidnappers) took me to, they covered my eyes and mouth with sachet water and used my small face cap to cover my face and ran away.’ My child also said that the kidnappers started fighting among themselves and forcefully put him in a car and told him that he was going to see his daddy. They ended up dropping him naked in the village while he started crying and people came to his rescue.

Father of the victim who was still yet to recover from the shock said that he had notified Nigeria police Area command and Okpuje police station that his missing child had been returned adding that the child was undergoing medical tests for now.

 

-Vanguard