Ebonyi State Traces Parents of Five Missing Boys

Five boys, aged between three and fourteen, are currently residing in the Ebonyi State Juvenile Remand Home located in Ugwuachara, Abakaliki. The Ebonyi State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, led by Felicia Nwamkpuma, is intensifying efforts to trace the boys' parents.

The boys were found wandering in different parts of the state during a rescue operation conducted by the Nigerian Police Force. Nwamkpuma expressed concern that the boys have been in the facility for periods ranging from two months to four years without any parent or guardian coming forward to claim them.

She emphasized that the remand home is not intended for long-term shelter and that vulnerable children cannot remain indefinitely in such conditions. If parents do not come forward within a reasonable timeframe, the ministry may invoke Section Four of the Ebonyi State Child Rights Law, which allows for the placement of children in foster care or adoption, prioritizing their welfare.