The Ebonyi State Government says five missing boys have been rescued through a joint effort with the Nigeria Police Force.
Police spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed that operatives found the children wandering in different parts of the state on separate occasions.
He said the boys were taken into protective custody and later handed over to the Ebonyi State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
According to police, the ministry will conduct investigations to trace their families and facilitate safe reunions.
At the Juvenile Remand Home in Ugwuachara, Abakaliki, Commissioner for Women’s Affairs, Mrs. Felicia Nwankpuma, said the children were discovered in vulnerable conditions before police intervention.
Represented by the Head of the Child Development Department, Emmanuel Nkwuda, she described children as precious and deserving of proper care and protection.
The commissioner advised parents to consider their economic capacity before expanding their families and to remain vigilant about their children’s safety.
She warned that if parents fail to come forward within a reasonable time, the ministry may consider adoption or fostering arrangements.
According to her, prolonged stays at the remand home could negatively affect the children’s emotional and educational development.
She revealed that some children at the facility have remained for up to four years without being claimed by relatives.
The government urged parents searching for missing children to visit the ministry with proof for identification and possible reunion.
Officials also cautioned residents against allowing strangers easy access to children, citing recent incidents of abduction attempts in parts of the state.
The rescued children are aged between three and 14 years, authorities said.
