A suspect, Blessing Okoi has been apprehended by Police for recently abducting a 4-year-old boy from a school in Rivers State.
The case began on October 31, 2024, when Miss Lydia Jonah Gabriel reported the disappearance of her son, Hope Evans, from Community Primary School Azubie, Port Harcourt. According to the FCT Police Command spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, school officials stated that an unidentified woman, later identified as Blessing Okoi, lured the child away from the premises at approximately 1:28 PM by offering him biscuits and eggs.
The suspect, who was unknown to the school management, managed to leave with the child unnoticed. Hope’s disappearance was only discovered later in the evening when his family could not locate him.
After realizing her son was missing, Hope’s mother, Lydia Jonah, and her family visited the school to gather information. They learned that the woman who took Hope was referred to locally as “Destiny’s mum.” However, upon visiting her residence, they found that she had vacated the premises on the night of the incident.
On November 1, 2024, the family revisited the school, where several students identified the suspect as Destiny’s mother. This led to a formal report at the Trans Amadi Police Station, with the case eventually transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
Suspecting that the suspect had fled to Abuja, the victim’s aunt reported the matter to the FCT Police Command. Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu immediately ordered an investigation.
Following extensive efforts, police traced the suspect’s movements to Mararaba, Abuja. On November 29, 2024, at approximately 8:00 PM, Blessing Okoi was arrested, and Hope Evans was rescued after over two months of abduction.
During interrogation, Okoi initially claimed to be Hope’s biological mother, renaming him “David Evans.” She presented inconsistent information and altered details, which were refuted by the victim’s mother, who provided recent photographs to confirm Hope’s identity. Okoi eventually admitted to changing the boy’s name.
Investigations revealed that Okoi had convinced her former partner, Evans, that the child was his, claiming he was the result of a past pregnancy. The boyfriend accepted the boy as his own, unaware of the abduction.
Hope’s mother was contacted by the FCT Police Command and traveled to Abuja, where she was reunited with her son on December 6, 2024, after over two harrowing months of separation.
Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu praised the investigative team for their dedication and success in resolving the case. He also urged school administrators to prioritize the safety of children under their care, emphasizing the critical role of vigilance in preventing such incidents
