The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has successfully rescued a four-year-old boy, Hope Evans, who was abducted from his school in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and found in Abuja.
Hope was declared missing by his mother, Ms. Lydia Jonah Gabriel, on October 31, 2024, after he failed to return from the community primary school in Azube, Port Harcourt. Investigations revealed that a suspect, identified as Blessing Okoi, lured the child away from the school premises with biscuits and eggs.
Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh disclosed that the abduction went unnoticed by the school authorities. The alarm was raised when Hope’s family visited the school for information, only to discover that the suspect, locally referred to as “Destiny’s mum,” had fled the area on the same evening.
Following reports to the Trans Amadi Police Station and the subsequent transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), investigators tracked the suspect to Maraba, an Abuja suburb. On November 29, the FCT Police, under the directive of Commissioner of Police CP Olatunji Disu, apprehended Blessing Okoi and rescued the child.
Ms. Adeh noted that the suspect initially claimed to be the boy’s mother, though her story conflicted with details provided by Hope’s biological mother. The boy was reunited with his mother, Ms. Lydia, on November 6 after she arrived in Abuja.
This case underscores the vigilance and efficiency of law enforcement agencies in tracking and apprehending suspects involved in child abduction. The police have reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding children and prosecuting perpetrators of such crimes.
