Tension in Delta community as new tenants three days after moving into apartment disappear with four children

Residents of Ogwashi-Uku in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State has been thrown into panic following the abduction of four children by suspected child traffickers on Sunday.

The victims, identified as Ebube and Miracle—who are siblings—and Chimanda and Excel from another family, were reportedly kidnapped in the Umuokwe area of the town.

The disturbing incident has left the community in shock, with locals pointing fingers at three women who had recently moved into the neighborhood.

According to sources within the community, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case, the women had barely spent few days in their rented apartment before they disappeared.

One of the suspects reportedly lured the unsuspecting children by offering to buy them biscuits from a nearby shop.

“The children were last seen heading toward the area where the women stayed. When they didn’t return, residents became worried,” a source revealed.

Efforts to locate the children led neighbours to the apartment the women had occupied, only to find it completely empty. Neither the women nor the children were anywhere to be found.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, stated that the matter is under investigation. He noted that the landlady of the house where the suspects had stayed has been arrested and is currently in police custody.

“It is a confirmed case,” Edafe said. “The troubling part is that there’s no trace—no names, no phone numbers, no identification of any sort. They rented the apartment and just three days later, vanished with four children.”

He further criticized the landlady’s failure to collect necessary tenant information before handing over the property, calling her behaviour highly questionable.

“The landlady’s arrest is based on her negligence and the suspicious nature of her dealings with the tenants,” Edafe added.

As the search for the missing children continues, residents are urging the authorities to intensify efforts to locate them and bring the culprits to justice.