The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Osun State has raised concerns over the increasing cases of child kidnapping in the region. The Command has urged parents to be extra vigilant, especially during the school holidays when children are more likely to be in public places without supervision.
In a statement issued by the NSCDC spokesperson, Adeleke Kehinde, the Osun State Commandant, Michael Adaralewa, expressed his worries about the growing number of child kidnapping cases reported in August. He revealed that the Command is currently investigating three such cases, with several suspects already apprehended.
One of the incidents involved a one-year-old boy who was kidnapped on August 2, 2024, in Osunjela, near Ilesa Garage. According to the investigation, a woman named Tawa, introduced to the child’s mother by a family friend, used the pretense of learning bag-making to abduct the child. On her first day at work, Tawa took the child while pretending to play with him, tricking the child’s ten-year-old sister into leaving them alone.
On the same day, another case was reported involving a three-year-old child who went missing in Owode, Osogbo. The child was last seen playing in a shop, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
Additionally, a five-month-old baby girl, whose parents are both deaf and mute, was kidnapped on August 27, 2024, in Agbeye town, Odo-Otin Local Government Area. The child was taken while her mother was gathering firewood on a farm, leaving the baby under a tree for a brief period. When the mother returned, the baby had disappeared.
Commandant Adaralewa assured the public that the NSCDC is working closely with other security agencies in the state to apprehend the kidnappers. He also advised artisans and employers to properly profile individuals they hire, and urged parents to closely monitor their children, especially during the holiday season.
“Children are special gifts from God and the future of the country,” Adaralewa emphasized, stressing the importance of prioritizing the safety of children during this period.
