Delta Community in Turmoil As Police Arrest Landlady After New Tenant Disappeared With Four Children

 

A deep sense of fear and grief has settled over the Ogwashi-Uku community in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State following the disappearance of four children, believed to have been abducted by suspected child traffickers.

The incident, which took place on Sunday, unfolded in the quiet Umuokwe quarters—a neighborhood not accustomed to such shocking occurrences. According to residents, the four missing children were last seen in the company of three women who had recently rented an apartment in the area. Two of the victims have been identified as siblings, Ebube and Miracle. The identities of the other two children remain unconfirmed at the time of filing this report.

Community members are reeling in disbelief after discovering that the women had moved into the area merely three days before the abduction. Described as “friendly but quiet” by those who briefly interacted with them, the women reportedly secured emergency accommodation from a local landlady without providing any personal details. There was no written agreement, no identity documentation, and no contact number left behind—an arrangement that is now at the center of police investigations.

Eyewitnesses claim the women had approached the children with a harmless offer—to buy them biscuits from a nearby shop. The children, likely comforted by the casual friendliness and the promise of a treat, followed them out of sight. That was the last time they were seen.

Concern quickly escalated later that day when the children were nowhere to be found. Neighbors raised the alarm, prompting a visit to the apartment the women had rented. What they found sent chills through the community: the room was completely empty. The women had vanished, and with them, the four young children.

Speaking on the case, the spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident and described the situation as “deeply troubling.” He noted that the landlady who rented the apartment to the suspects has been detained by the police for questioning. Her arrest, Edafe explained, stems from suspicions surrounding her careless rental practices.

“The children were abducted three days after the women moved in,” Edafe said. “The issue is, there’s no trail. These women came, paid for the apartment, and left no name, no phone number, no form of identification. The landlady gave out the apartment without making any formal agreement. That raises serious concerns, and she’s now in custody.”

The development has sent shockwaves throughout Ogwashi-Uku, a town known more for its serene atmosphere and communal lifestyle than criminal activity. Residents are now grappling with the reality that child traffickers may have infiltrated their midst under the guise of needing emergency shelter.

Local leaders and community watch groups have stepped up efforts to assist the police in the search for the missing children. Flyers with photographs of the victims (where available) are being distributed, and nearby towns have been alerted in case the suspects attempt to flee the region.

Parents in the area have become hyper-vigilant, many now refusing to allow their children to leave their sight. One distraught mother, whose child was not among the abducted but had interacted with the women prior to the incident, told reporters she now escorts her children even for the shortest errands.

As the investigation continues, authorities are urging anyone with useful information—no matter how seemingly insignificant—to come forward. “What we’re dealing with could be part of a larger trafficking ring,” a police source revealed under anonymity. “The speed and coordination of the operation raise red flags.”

Meanwhile, Delta State residents and the broader Nigerian public are calling for stricter enforcement of rental documentation laws and heightened awareness campaigns on child safety. The Ogwashi-Uku abduction has become yet another grim reminder of the growing threat posed by human trafficking syndicates operating across the country.

Hope remains that the children will be found and reunited with their families. Until then, Ogwashi-Uku watches and waits, its silence echoing with the questions of four families whose lives have been upended in the blink of an eye.