Residents of Nkwagu in Ebonyi State are struggling with shock and anxiety following the unexplained disappearance of three very young children, an incident that has shaken confidence in the community’s sense of security.
The disturbing incident, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, has left parents and residents traumatised, as questions continue to trail how the suspects gained access to the children within a residential compound.
The children—two baby boys and a one-year-old girl—were reportedly taken from a compound located directly opposite a Nigerian Army barracks, a detail that has further heightened public concern.
Many residents described the incident as bold and unsettling, given the proximity of the location to a security facility.
According to accounts from the victims’ mothers, the suspected abductors were three women who had been accommodated overnight in the compound by the landlord on Thursday, February 6.
The women allegedly presented themselves as visitors with no known ties to the community, a move that has since raised suspicion among neighbours.
One of the affected mothers, Mrs. Happiness Okpuno Gladys, recounted her ordeal in tears.
She explained that she had gone to the market early Saturday morning to purchase goods for her trading business, unaware that her children would be taken in her absence.
While at the market, she received an urgent call from neighbours informing her that her children were missing.
She rushed home immediately and met a tense atmosphere, with residents already gathering in the compound.
According to her, it was later discovered that the women who slept in the compound overnight were nowhere to be found.
Mrs. Gladys stated that two of her children—a two-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl—were among those abducted, deepening the tragedy for her family.
She further revealed that the women spoke English and Central Igbo but could not communicate in the local dialect, a factor that made them stand out after the incident.
She stressed that they were unfamiliar faces in the neighbourhood and insisted that only the landlord could explain how he came to host them.
The development has intensified conversations around child abduction in Ebonyi, particularly regarding the role of landlords in verifying visitors.
Another victim, Mrs. Nworie Oluchi, narrated how her two-year-old son was taken through what she described as a calculated distraction.
She explained that she was washing clothes when one of the women offered to take her child to buy biscuits. Trusting the situation, she initially allowed it but later became worried when the woman failed to return.
Mrs. Oluchi said she sent her older children to retrieve their younger brother because he needed his medication.
When they could not locate him, she went downstairs and found two other women sitting calmly in the compound. They allegedly urged her not to panic, claiming the woman had only stepped out briefly.
Growing increasingly uneasy, she insisted on seeing her child immediately. The women reportedly asked her to wait while they tried to contact their companion.
However, after briefly going into her room to change clothes, she returned to hear neighbours shouting that one of the women had boarded a commercial tricycle, popularly known as a keke.
She raised an alarm instantly, drawing the attention of residents. Unfortunately, by the time people began searching, the remaining two women had also disappeared.
The incident, she said, left her devastated and confused. Like Mrs. Gladys, she confirmed that her husband was not at home at the time of the incident.
Residents of Nkwagu community have since described the experience as traumatic, with many parents now restricting their children’s movement.
The case has reignited public debate on child abduction in Ebonyi, especially as similar incidents have been reported in parts of the South-East in recent years.
Community leaders and residents have appealed to the general public to remain alert and report any suspicious movement involving women travelling with toddlers matching the descriptions of the missing children.
An emergency contact number, 07080240088, has been widely circulated to encourage swift reporting of useful information.
The Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed the incident. According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, the case was formally reported at the Central Police Station in Abakaliki, and investigations are ongoing.
He assured the public that efforts are being intensified to track the suspects and rescue the children.
SP Ukandu also reiterated earlier warnings from the Commissioner of Police, urging landlords and residents to properly verify the identities of strangers before offering accommodation.
He stressed that negligence in this area continues to expose communities to crimes such as child abduction in Ebonyi, which has become a growing concern.
As investigations continue, the incident stands as a painful reminder of the need for heightened vigilance, stronger community cooperation, and stricter verification of visitors.
Many residents hope that the children will be rescued safely and that justice will be served to deter future cases of child abduction in Ebonyi.
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