Ebonyi missing students found begging in Enugu

Ebonyi Missing Students found begging in Enugu after three months, NHRC confirms, saying they fled school following threats of punishment

The teenagers Augustine Onwunyiruba, 17, a JSS3 pupil, and Lawrence Onyenaturuchukwu, 16, an SS1 student went missing on 5 June from Ebonyi State Special School of the Blind, Opefia in Izzi Local Government Area.

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Mr Christopher Okorie, Coordinator of the NHRC in Ebonyi, said the pair had fled after being threatened with punishment by older students.

They were discovered wandering near Abakpa Nike, Enugu, on 11 September, surviving through begging.

“Thank God, they were found in good health and mind. The children have equally been handed over to their parents,”

Okorie confirmed, praising the press and members of the public for information that led to their discovery.

The Ebonyi State Police Command also verified the recovery. Its spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, said the students were traced through a phone contact with one of the parents.

“They have been handed over to their parents. We are still expecting them back to the command for further questioning,” he noted.

Mrs Lovina Ikegwu, mother of Onyenaturuchukwu, expressed gratitude to the NHRC and police for ensuring her daughter’s safe return.

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The incident has raised fresh concerns about student welfare and safeguarding at special schools in Nigeria, with rights groups calling for stronger oversight and protection for vulnerable children.