By Izunna Okafor, Awka
A 10-year-old boy who reportedly lost his way home after going out to play has been rescued by operatives of the Anambra State Police Command in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area, with the police appealing to members of the public to help reunite him with his family.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, announced this in a statement issued on Sunday. He said preliminary interaction with the child revealed that he had left home to play but subsequently became unable to find his way back or locate his family members.
The boy, identified as Chinecherem Onuwasoanya, was rescued on Sunday afternoon, November 1, by operatives attached to the Okpoko Police Division after a concerned resident found him wandering around the area and took him to the police station for assistance.
According to the police spokesman, the little boy also disclosed that he hails from Ebenebe in Anambra State, although the circumstances surrounding how he found himself in Okpoko were not immediately clear.
Ikenga said the Command had commenced efforts to establish contact with the boy’s parents or guardians and facilitate his safe return to his family.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, commended the Good Samaritan who found the child and promptly took him to the police station, describing the intervention as a responsible step towards protecting a vulnerable member of the society.
The Commissioner, through the police spokesman, also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and supportive of efforts aimed at protecting children and other vulnerable persons, while advising parents and guardians to ensure adequate supervision of their children.
He further advised parents to take necessary precautions to make their children easily identifiable and traceable in situations where they become separated from their families.
The Command consequently appealed to anyone with useful information that could assist in identifying or locating the boy’s parents or guardians to contact the Okpoko Police Division or the Anambra State Police Command to facilitate his reunion with his family.
As of the time of this report, efforts were still ongoing to reunite the missing child with his family.
