The Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has appealed to the public for assistance in reuniting a 12-year-old girl, Amarachi Amos, with her family in Lagos State after she was allegedly abducted and later rescued in Edo.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, the ministry said Amarachi was kidnapped by three unidentified men at Jakande Estate in Lagos before being abandoned in Edo State.
According to the ministry, the girl was handed over by an officer of the Edo State Police Command after she was rescued by members of a local vigilante group at Okhuaihe Community along the Benin–Agbor Road.
The police officer explained that the vigilante team initially took Amarachi to the Divisional Police Headquarters before she was transferred to the Edo State Police Command. She was later placed under the care of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for protection.
Recounting her ordeal, Amarachi said she is 12 years old and had just completed her Primary Six Leaving School Certificate Examination at Doyin Nursery and Primary School in Lagos. She added that she lives with her family at Jakande Estate.
She said the incident occurred on Friday, July 17, 2026, shortly after her mother sent her on an errand.
According to Amarachi, a vehicle carrying three unidentified men stopped beside her, and the occupants allegedly forced her into the car before driving away.
She said the men repeatedly demanded the phone numbers of her relatives during the journey, but she was unable to provide any because she could not remember them.
After what she described as a long drive, the suspects allegedly abandoned her at Okhuaihe Community along the Benin–Agbor Road, where she was found by a local vigilante member and taken to the police.
Amarachi remains under the care and protection of the Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development pending efforts to identify and reunite her with her family.
“The Ministry is therefore 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 that will assist in reuniting the child with her parents,” the statement read.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to protecting vulnerable children and ensuring they are safely reunited with their families as quickly as possible.
It also urged members of the public to share the information widely until Amarachi is reunited with her loved ones.
