Ebonyi govt rescues five homeless male children
Five homeless male children found wandering in different parts of Ebonyi State are currently in the care of the state government as efforts intensify to locate their parents. The Commissioner
Five homeless male children found wandering in different parts of Ebonyi State are currently in the care of the state government as efforts intensify to locate their parents.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Felicia Nwamkpuma, disclosed this at a briefing in Abakaliki, the state capital on Saturday.
She explained that officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Ebonyi State Police Command, picked up the children at various locations.
They were subsequently handed over to the ministry for investigation and possible reunification with their families.
Nwamkpuma, represented at the briefing by the Head of the Child Development Department, Mr. Emmanuel Nkwuda, spoke at the Ebonyi State Juvenile Remand Home in Ugwuachara, Abakaliki.
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She revealed that the five boys, aged between three and 14 years, had been roaming aimlessly before their rescue.
While some have been at the facility for as long as four years, others have stayed for two years, one year, and the youngest for just two months.
She called on parents or guardians searching for missing children to visit the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development with relevant evidence for proper identification and possible reunion.
According to the Commissioner, the remand home is not designed to serve as a long-term shelter for children who are not in conflict with the law.
“Ordinarily, they are not expected to remain here beyond one or two months. Prolonged stay could pose security concerns, especially as the facility also houses underage suspects,” she said.
She warned that if no parents or relatives come forward within a reasonable period, the ministry may initiate adoption or fostering processes in line with Section Four of the Ebonyi State Child Rights Law, which places the best interest of the child as paramount.
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“Their best interest at this stage of life is to grow up in a proper home where they can enjoy parental care, education, dignity, and a sense of identity.
Every child has a right to a name and protection. We cannot allow them to grow up without meaningful engagement,” she stated.
Nwamkpuma advised parents to have only the number of children they can adequately care for, considering their financial capacity and schedules.
She also urged heightened vigilance amid rising cases of child abduction.
She cited a recent incident in the Nkwagu axis of the state, where unidentified women allegedly deceived mothers and made away with three children.
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She cautioned parents to be security-conscious and wary of strangers offering to assist or take their children on errands.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare, protection, and promotion of children’s rights in the state and appealed to the public to help reconnect the rescued children with their families.
