Communities of Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State have decried the disappearance of over nine children in the area. This was even as armed men suspected to be kidnappers on Friday evening killed a prominent leader of Neke Odenigbo-Nike community in Isi-Uzo Local Council of Enugu State, Chief Cyril Mbah and one other person before abducting an unascertained number of people
A source in Ogoni, yesterday, said that within a period of three weeks, the whereabouts of over nine children were unknown. According to the source, five children went missing in Bera community, Gokana Local Council of the state. The source, who did not want his name in print, hinted that two children were earlier declared missing in Nweola community and two in Mogho all in Gokana, just as he urged parents to keep eyes on their children.
The source said: “The rate of missing children in Ogoni is alarming. Today, Saturday, I have been informed that five children have been declared missing in Bera community, two missing in Nweola and two cases reported in Mogho. Please keep an eye on your children.”
President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, (MOSOP), Fegalo Nsuke, who confirmed the development, noted that the trend may not be unconnected to ritual activities, stressing that MOSOP has started a sanitisation process to end the ugly trend. He said: “We are trying to see what we can do by liaising with traditional rulers to bring the situation under control because it is alarming.”