The Ebonyi State Government has rescued five homeless male children who were seen wandering in various parts of the state.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Felicia Nwamkpuma, disclosed this at a briefing in Abakaliki, the state capital, on Saturday.
Mrs Nwamkpuma said the rescued children were currently in the care of the state government and that efforts had been intensified to locate their parents.
She explained that the children were picked up at various locations by police operatives in the state.
The commissioner said the rescued children were subsequently handed over to the ministry for investigation and possible reunification with their families.
Mrs Nwamkpuma, who was represented at the briefing by the Head of the Child Development Department, Emmanuel Nkwuda, spoke at the Ebonyi State Juvenile Remand Home in Ugwuachara, Abakaliki.
She said the five boys, aged between 3 and 14, had been roaming aimlessly before their rescue.
The commissioner said some of the children had been at the Ebonyi State Juvenile Remand Home for at least four years while others had spent between two months and one year.
She called on parents and guardians searching for missing children to visit the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in the state with relevant evidence for proper identification and possible reunion.
According to her, the remand home is not designed to serve as a long-term shelter for children who are not crime suspects.
“Ordinarily, they are not expected to remain here beyond one or two months. Prolonged stay could pose security concerns, especially as the facility also houses underage suspects,” she said.
Mrs Nwamkpuma warned that if no parents or relatives come forward within a reasonable period, the ministry may initiate adoption or fostering processes in line with Section 4 of the Ebonyi State Child Rights Law, which places the best interest of the child as paramount.
“Their best interest at this stage of life is to grow up in a proper home where they can enjoy parental care, education, dignity, and a sense of identity.
“Every child has a right to a name and protection. We cannot allow them to grow up without meaningful engagement,” she stated.
The commissioner advised parents to birth only the number of children they can adequately care for, considering their financial capacity and schedules.
She also urged heightened vigilance amid rising cases of child abduction.
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The official gave an instance of a recent incident in the Nkwagu Axis of the state where unidentified women allegedly deceived mothers and made away with three children.
Mrs Nwamkpuma cautioned parents to be security-conscious and wary of strangers offering to assist or take their children on errands.
The commissioner reaffirmed the commitment of the ministry to the welfare, protection, and promotion of children’s rights in the state.
She appealed to Nigerians to assist in reconnecting the rescued children with their families.
This is not the first time homeless children have been rescued in Ebonyi.
In February 2024, for instance, 13-year-old boy Goodluck Onwe was rescued after he was seen wandering on the streets of Abakaliki.