The Cross River State Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, confirmed the rescue of a two-year-old boy allegedly kidnapped from Bunyia Irruan in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, after two 17-year-old suspects were apprehended by community youths in the Mbube area of Ogoja Local Government Area.
The boy was reportedly taken from the community two days before his rescue, triggering concern among residents and a community-led search that eventually led to the arrest of Suahnen Lorlumun and Sekeghshie Silas, both aged 17.
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According to the police, the teenagers were taken to the Okubuchi Police Outpost by the Clan Head of Bunyia Irruan after community youths raised concerns that the pair could be subjected to mob violence.
The police said the suspects were subsequently released into the custody of the clan head, accompanied by three officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons from Calabar.
ASP Eitokpah said the police command was aware of the incident and had intervened primarily to protect the teenagers from possible lynching.
“The Cross River State Police Command is aware of an incident involving two young men, namely Suahnen Lorlumun, 17, and Sekeghshie Silas, 17, who were brought to the Okubuchi Police Outpost by the Clan Head of Bunyia Irruan for their safety,” Eitokpah said.
An eyewitness gave a more tense account of the teenagers’ apprehension, saying members of a community vigilante group stopped the pair after they were allegedly seen attempting to take the child through the community.
“When we noticed that they were trying to take the boy across our community, we had to stop them,” the eyewitness said.
The witness alleged that the teenagers were later taken to the village square, tied to a concrete wall and beaten before police intervention.
The allegation could not independently establish whether either teenager was responsible for the child’s abduction.
The police have also not publicly confirmed that Lorlumun and Silas were responsible for the boy’s disappearance.
A separate report on the incident noted that the command had confirmed the teenagers’ detention for their protection but had not established their involvement in the alleged kidnapping.
That distinction is significant, particularly because both suspects are minors.
Their apprehension by community members reflects the understandable alarm surrounding the disappearance of a young child, but the circumstances also underline the need for suspected offenders to be handled through lawful investigative procedures rather than mob justice.
The incident unfolded between Bunyia Irruan in Boki and the Mbube area of Ogoja.
Bunyia Irruan is an established community in Boki Local Government Area, with schools and other community institutions located in the area.
The involvement of NAPTIP officials alongside the clan head after the teenagers were released into custody also adds a child-protection dimension to the case.
The agency’s presence suggests that authorities are taking account of the vulnerability of minors while the circumstances surrounding the incident are examined.
Kidnapping remains a serious security concern across parts of Nigeria, with children among the most vulnerable potential victims.
The Niger Delta and South-South region have experienced kidnapping incidents involving people from different age groups over the years, although the circumstances and motives have varied considerably.
For the Bunyia Irruan community, the immediate priority has been the safe recovery of the child and the prevention of further harm.
The rescue offers a measure of relief to the boy’s family and residents, but questions surrounding how the child was taken, who was responsible and what happened during the period of his disappearance remain subject to investigation.
The police intervention also sends a crucial message amid heightened emotions: allegations of kidnapping must be investigated thoroughly, while suspects must be protected from extrajudicial punishment.
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As authorities continue to establish the full circumstances of the case, the safe return of the two-year-old remains the most reassuring development in an incident that briefly left a Cross River community gripped by fear.
Oreoluwa is an accountant and a brand writer with a flair for journalism.
