They Came as Tenants, Left as Thieves”: Delta Community in Shock as Three Women Disappear with Four Children Days After Renting a Room
Ogwashi Uku, Delta State — What began as a quiet week in the serene Umuokwe Quarters of Ogwashi Uku community has since spiraled into confusion, tears, and fear following the mysterious disappearance of four children — all allegedly abducted by three women who had only recently secured accommodation in the neighborhood.
It was a sunny Friday, April 18, 2025, when the children vanished — lured, according to eyewitness accounts, by the promise of biscuits from a nearby store. What residents initially brushed off as another moment of innocent childlike trust has since evolved into a full-blown child abduction crisis, shaking the Delta community to its core.
The victims include six-year-old Ebube Nwafido and her younger sister Miracle, aged three. Also missing are Chimanda, aged seven, and Excel, alias Tinubu, aged five. All four girls were last seen walking toward the rented apartment where the women had moved in less than a week earlier.
Ogwashi Uku, headquarters of the Aniocha South Local Government Area, is a middle-sized town known for its warmth and communal spirit. Generations have grown up here trusting neighbors with their children, especially in the close-knit enclaves like Umuokwe Quarters.
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So, when the three women arrived on Monday, April 14, requesting urgent accommodation, no one suspected foul play. They appeared decent, polite, and even religious — one reportedly wore a white garment similar to those worn by women of Cherubim and Seraphim churches.
Their inquiry about available rooms was met with compassion. A local resident, Mrs. Bose Nwafido, offered directions to an unoccupied one-room apartment owned by a retired teacher. The women settled in by the evening, even borrowing a mat and buckets from neighbors, claiming they were waiting for their luggage to arrive.
“They blended in so quickly,” said Ngozi Eze, a nearby resident. “They greeted everybody respectfully. They even joined morning prayers with some women. Nobody suspected they were anything other than regular tenants.”
According to Mrs. Bose Nwafido, the women had approached her in front of her home on Monday, looking distressed and desperate for a place to stay. One of them claimed to have consumed a mixture of Pepsi and zobo (hibiscus tea), and urgently needed to use the toilet. Mrs. Nwafido, thinking nothing of it, directed her to a bush behind their compound.
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“I was just being human,” she told The Daily Voice. “She used the bush, cleaned herself with tissue from my backyard, and thanked me profusely. She said they would be withdrawing money soon from a POS to pay for the rent. That’s the last thing I expected — that the same people would come back and steal my children.”
Her 10-year-old son, Ifechukwude, later said the women invited him to see their room the following day, treating him to biscuits and a bottle of malt.
“They said I should bring my sisters next time,” he recalled, sobbing. “They said they liked little children.”
By Thursday, the women had grown unusually friendly with children in the compound. They bought sweets and biscuits for them and even braided the hair of one of the girls. A few adults in the area raised mild concerns about their over-familiarity with kids, but others brushed it off as mere affection.
On Friday morning, April 18, Mrs. Nwafido left for a church program, leaving strict instructions for her children to remain within the compound. Several children, including Ebube and Miracle, were playing under a mango tree near the house when the women invited them to follow them for snacks.
At around 12 noon, some neighborhood children returned alone, telling other residents that “Aunty said she was taking them to buy biscuits.” That would be the last anyone saw of Ebube, Miracle, Chimanda, and Excel.
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When the girls failed to return after two hours, a mild panic set in. Initially, neighbors thought they may have gone to a relative’s house nearby, or were still in the company of the women. But by 3:00 PM, things took a darker turn.
Mrs. Ejiro Okoro, a neighbor, recounted the moment they forced open the women’s door: “The room was empty. Not even a nylon bag was left behind. The mat was gone. The buckets were gone. Even the plates they borrowed were gone. That’s when we knew we had been deceived.”
The parents of the missing children broke down. Mr. Kingsley Nwafido, a mechanic, said he collapsed in shock upon hearing the news.
“I rushed back from my workshop. I kept shouting, ‘Where are my children? Where are my daughters?’ I don’t know how I am still breathing,” he lamented.
His wife, Bose, remained inconsolable: “It is like a dream. I regret ever speaking to them. God, please punish whoever is behind this.”
By evening, residents had gathered in large numbers at the palace of the Obi of Ogwashi Uku, demanding swift action. Youths vowed to comb every nearby forest and road. Some called for the burning of any suspicious homes.
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The Delta State Police Command confirmed the incident through its spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, who stated: “Yes, we received a report of missing children in Ogwashi Uku. We are investigating. No suspects have been arrested yet, but the public will be updated as the investigation unfolds.”
Privately, police officers said they were examining CCTV footage from a popular supermarket near the junction, where the women may have passed with the children. They are also working with phone network providers to trace any last known locations of phones associated with the women.
Meanwhile, community members have begun volunteering information. One man claimed to have seen the women boarding a commercial tricycle with the girls that afternoon. Another said they entered a bus bound for Asaba at around 2:30 PM.
Many in Delta are beginning to fear that this may not be an isolated incident. Child theft and trafficking have been on the rise across southern Nigeria in recent years. Experts believe children are often sold into domestic servitude, forced begging rings, or even illegal adoption rings that operate across state lines.
In 2023, the Nigerian Immigration Service rescued 13 trafficked children from being smuggled through the Seme border. In 2024, a child theft syndicate was uncovered in Imo State, involving fake orphanages that rebranded stolen children and sold them to desperate couples.
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Human rights activist and lawyer, Barr. Grace Onochie, believes the signs are there: “These are not amateurs. These women likely scoped out the area in advance. They chose a community with weak surveillance, easy access to transportation, and poor police response time. It’s strategic.”
She added: “The government must begin to enforce biometric identification and neighborhood registration of new tenants. Otherwise, we are just handing over our children to traffickers.”
The Umuokwe Quarters Development Union held an emergency meeting on Saturday evening. Resolutions passed included mandatory tenant registration, installation of neighborhood CCTV cameras, and the setting up of a vigilante patrol group.
“We cannot fold our hands anymore,” said Union chairman Mr. Peter Uche. “If it takes putting checkpoints at every street corner, we will do it.”
The Obi of Ogwashi Uku also expressed dismay over the incident, urging cooperation with police and warning against jungle justice. “Let the law take its course,” he advised. “We will ensure these children are found.”
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For the families affected, life has stopped.
The Nwafidos’ living room, once bustling with laughter, now echoes with cries and prayers. Chimanda’s mother, Mrs. Lucy Nwankwo, has refused to eat since Friday.
“I cannot live unless I see my daughter again,” she wept. “If you know where my baby is, return her. I will forgive you. Just bring her back.”
Little Excel, the last child of her struggling single mother, was her “hope for joy.” Her elder siblings have stopped attending school out of fear.
The psychological damage is immense, say health experts.
“These children are not just missing; they are part of a community’s soul,” said psychologist Dr. Tunde Okon. “The trauma will linger for years — for parents, siblings, and even the children who witnessed the event.”
The tragedy in Ogwashi Uku is yet another reminder that insecurity and child abduction have crept into even the most unsuspecting corners of Nigerian life. What used to be rare headlines are now recurring nightmares.
Activists are urging the federal government to declare a state of emergency on child trafficking. Nonprofits like SafeKids Nigeria have begun outreach in Delta State, educating parents on how to teach children “safe stranger” behavior and establishing rapid response channels in rural communities.
The State Ministry of Women Affairs has also sent representatives to console the families and assess possible support.
But time, many say, is running out.
“For every hour they remain missing, the trail grows colder,” said SP Bright Edafe. “We are doing all we can, but we also need the public’s help.”
As the sun sets on Ogwashi Uku each day, the air remains heavy with prayers and unanswered questions.
Where are the children?
Who are the women?
And what more can be done to ensure that no community ever experiences this kind of heartbreak again?
Until answers come, Ogwashi Uku will not rest.
If you have any information regarding the missing children or saw suspicious activity in Ogwashi Uku on Friday, April 18, please contact the Delta State Police Command or the nearest security agency.
