Four days and a few hours later, there is yet no word about six orphans, two of their handlers, and four others abducted in Naharati area of the Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Gun-toting kidnappers early last Saturday picked up the children and two of their handlers from the Rachel Orphanage causing an outrage that drew International media attention, and a wild buzz on social media. Four other persons were picked on the same street and were hauled off into the surrounding forest areas of the farthest council over 100 kilometres from the capital city.
After an initial promise to rescue the kids, the Police have gone silent “so as not to compromise investigation efforts”, according to a source, but fears are being expressed over the safety of the kids and others, or whether they have not been moved out of Abuja.
A man’s wife was taken by the kidnappers, who flatly declined to take the husband, though he offered himself in place of his wife.
They threatened to kill the woman if she resisted, according to her husband in a television interview.
The owner of the Rachel Orphanage said the kidnappers demanded N10 million, an amount she had never set her eyes on.
The husband of one of the kidnapped woman admitted he is in touch with the kidnappers.
A staff of the orphanage, Alaje Odewu, said of the kidnap in an interview, “(They were) wielding their rifles at the kids, they selected the older ones and took them away along with their matron who was carrying a less than 1-year-old baby and another adult worker,” but added that the matron, the baby and another girl were subsequently released.
When the abductors called to demand the ransom, they insulted the board for not paying immediately. The orphanage told the abductors it does not have the money and is asking for people to pray for the safe return of the children.
“They told me they knew that the kids were orphans. I feel so sad that because these are just little innocent kids; the oldest among them is just 16 years old and most of the others are between the ages of 5 and 6.”