Onyedinma Foundation, a youth- and women-led Nigerian non-profit organisation, has expressed deep concern over the persistent cases of child adoption within rural communities in Abia State and urgently called for collective action for child safety.
The foundation dedicated to empowering girls, women, foster care children, and other vulnerable people, especially in rural communities, was reacting to the abduction of two children on their way home from school in Umuosu-Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area.
Recall that recently, the same foundation had recently raised alarm over the trafficking of two sisters, aged 14 and 15, who were trafficked from the Ugwunagbo Local Government Area of Abia State by their own aunt, who deceived them with promises of employment as salesgirls in Lagos before they were intercepted at the Lagos border by the Nigeria Police Force as their traffickers attempted to smuggle them to Ghana.
The foundation said that it was deeply troubled by yet another case of child abduction in Abia, following the June 26, 2026 adoption of the children that boarded a tricycle on their way home from school in Umuosu-Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, during a heavy rainfall.
According to Onwuka Glory, Executive Director of the Onyedinma Foundation, the children were actually six on the motorcycle, and “before reaching their destination, the rider exploited their innocence by tricking four of them into alighting to help him purchase petrol, claiming he had run out of fuel.” When the children returned from the errand, they discovered that the rider had disappeared with the two children they had left behind.”
DrumAfricanews reports that yesterday, the Abia State government condemned the reported abduction of the two children by a commercial tricycle operator at Umuosu Nsulu in Isiala Ngwa North LGA, vowing to spread its security dragnet beyond the state to ensure their speedy rescue.
Briefing journalists on efforts being made to rescue the children, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, and the Special Adviser to the governor on security, Navy Commander McDonald Ubah (rtd), assured that the government would not condone any form of insecurity in any part of the state and would leave no stone unturned in pursuit of their rescue.
However, the Onyedimma Foundation said that the heartbreaking incident is not an isolated occurrence, as it represents a disturbing and persistent pattern of child abduction and trafficking in persons that have continued to plague communities across Abia State and Nigeria at large.
“The audacity of criminals who now prey on school children in broad daylight is unacceptable and demands an urgent response from all stakeholders.
“The Onyedinma Foundation condemns these heinous acts in the strongest possible terms. The trauma inflicted upon abducted children, their families, and surviving witnesses is immeasurable. No child should ever fear for their safety while simply returning home from school. No family should endure the agony of a missing child. Yet these tragedies have become alarmingly frequent.”
The Onyedinma Foundation calls for increased awareness across all communities in Abia State, advising that parents and guardians must remain vigilant and educate their children on personal safety, including the dangers of engaging with strangers, as there is less information out there to educate children.
“Community leaders must prioritise discussing child protection during town hall meetings and religious gatherings. Traditional rulers and local government authorities should establish neighbourhood watch groups dedicated to monitoring the movement of children in their areas.”
The foundation also called for urgent and decisive government action and charged that the Abia State Government should intensify efforts to locate and rescue the two abducted children from Umuosu-Nsulu without delay.
“Law enforcement agencies should conduct thorough investigations, apprehend the perpetrators, and ensure they face the full weight of the law. We demand that this case does not go cold like so many others before it.
“Furthermore, the government should prioritise implementation of child protection law as a critical policy issue. Stricter regulation of commercial transport operators, particularly tricycle and bus drivers who interact with children daily, is essential.
“Background checks, proper identification systems, and community reporting mechanisms must be established to prevent criminals from using transport vehicles as tools for abduction.”
The Foundation also called for a comprehensive statewide campaign against child trafficking, urging government agencies, civil society organisations, schools, religious institutions, and citizens to collaborate in creating a protective environment for every child.
“The adoption of children and other forms of trafficking persist because the systems meant to protect children have loopholes that criminals continue to exploit,” the foundation said.
