On Tuesday, hundreds of women in Agbarho, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, took to the streets in protest. They blocked major roads, including the busy Five Junction, to express anger over what they described as the continuous abduction and disappearance of children in the community over the past year.
The protest was sparked by the alleged abduction of more children on Monday. Among them was reportedly the child of a well-known community leader.
For several hours, the women and other residents barricaded roads, stopping vehicles and crippling business activities. Shops and offices were forced to close as tension rose in the town.
The protesters later marched to the palace of the Osuvie (king) of Agbarho Kingdom and the Agbarho police station. They vowed to continue their demonstration until the missing children are found.
According to them, dozens of children had either gone missing or been abducted in the last twelve months. They called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the Delta State Police Command to step in urgently.
They explained that the protest was also fueled by fears of children’s safety, especially as schools have just resumed for a new academic session.
Speaking to journalists, a protester, Aghogho Imoni, said, “Some children, including the child of one of our leaders, went missing after leaving for school on Monday.”
Imoni lamented that many of the missing children had not been found, accusing local security agencies of doing little to solve the problem.
Another protester, Princess Akpo, said parents now live in fear. “Children are abducted in this community almost every week,” she said.
Although the exact circumstances of the alleged abductions remain unclear, residents claimed children had been taken from certain parts of the densely populated town.
It will be recalled that four months ago, the Osuvie of Agbarho, His Majesty Sampson Ogugu I, had demanded the removal of the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Agbarho Police Station because of rising insecurity in the community.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the Delta State Police spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, for comments were unsuccessful.
