Public Assistance Sought to Locate Family of Abducted Girl
The Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has issued an urgent appeal for public assistance to help reunite a 12-year-old girl, Amarachi Amos, with her family. The girl was abducted by three unidentified men in Lagos State and later rescued in Edo State.
Abduction Incident in Lagos
According to a statement released by the Ministry on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, Amarachi was abducted at Jakande Estate in Lagos. She had just completed her Primary Six Leaving School Certificate Examination at Doyin Nursery and Primary School and was sent on an errand by her mother on Friday, July 17, 2026, when a vehicle carrying three men stopped beside her. The men forcefully took her into the vehicle and drove away.
Rescue by Vigilante Group
Amarachi was later rescued by members of a local vigilante group at Okhuaihe Community along the Benin–Agbor Road in Edo State. An officer of the Edo State Police Command brought her to the Ministry after the vigilante team initially took her to the Divisional Police Headquarters and then transferred her to the Edo State Police Command. She was subsequently handed over to the Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for care and protection.
Ordeal During Abduction
Narrating her ordeal, Amarachi stated that during the journey, the men repeatedly asked her to provide the phone number of any of her relatives. However, she told them she could not remember any family phone number. After what she described as a long drive, the men abandoned her at Okhuaihe Community, where she was later found by a local vigilante officer and taken to the Police.
Appeal for Information
Amarachi is currently under the care and protection of the Ministry pending identification and reunification with her family. The Ministry is appealing to members of the public, particularly residents of Jakande Estate and other parts of Lagos State, who may know Amarachi Amos or her family, to contact the Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development or the Edo State Police Command with any useful information.
“The Ministry remains committed to safeguarding vulnerable children and ensuring that every child in its care is safely reunited with their family as quickly as possible,” the statement read. “Members of the public are encouraged to share this information widely until Amarachi is reunited with her loved ones.”
