Tears of Ejigbo: Family Awaits Daughter’s Return as Kidnappers Demand 500K Naira As Ransom

 

The community of Ejigbo, Lagos, remains gripped by fear and uncertainty nearly two months after five-year-old Memunah Abdulrahman was abducted in broad daylight while returning from her Islamic school. What initially seemed like a case of child disappearance has since evolved into a confirmed case of kidnapping, following a ransom demand from unidentified individuals claiming responsibility.

March 9, 2025, was a regular day in the bustling Ejigbo neighborhood—until news broke that little Memunah had vanished. She had been walking home from her madrasa with her sister when the suspected kidnapper approached them near a well-known supermarket. Gaining the girls’ trust under the guise of buying them snacks, the suspect lured them inside the store, only to disappear moments later with Memunah, leaving her sister behind and confused.

That was the last time anyone saw the little girl.

Her distraught father, Abdurrahman Alimi, has since been living through a nightmare that has not relented. After weeks of silence, a chilling development emerged: the family received a call from a private number. The voice on the line made a demand—₦500,000 for Memunah's safe return. No further details were given before the line went dead.

“It was almost a month after my daughter was abducted that they called us,” Mr. Alimi revealed in an interview with Punch. “They hid their phone numbers and asked us to pay N500,000 before they would release my daughter. They hung up the phone and have not called back since then. I believe my daughter is still alive.”

Although the kidnappers have not made any further contact since the initial call, the family continues to hold on to hope. Mr. Alimi said he had immediately notified the police, who advised the family to encourage the kidnappers to initiate further communication via WhatsApp for easier tracking.

However, the family claims that communication with the authorities has been sporadic and unreassuring.

“We don’t know what the police are doing about it. On Friday, it will be exactly two months since my daughter was abducted,” said Alimi, frustration evident in his voice. “There has been no meaningful update. We feel like we’ve been left in the dark.”

The Lagos State Police Command has acknowledged the case. According to spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin, Commissioner of Police Owohunwa Jimoh has officially assigned the matter to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to ensure a thorough probe. In the early days following this directive, operatives from the SCID reportedly visited the scene in Ejigbo and engaged with local residents.

But since then, Alimi says there has been a troubling silence.

With no further word from the kidnappers and no clear direction from the investigation, the Abdulrahman family remains suspended in a painful limbo. The absence of information only deepens their anguish and fuels speculation within the community.

Local residents have expressed growing concern, with many criticizing what they describe as a slow and opaque response from security agencies. Community leaders have called for increased vigilance and cooperation, urging parents to escort their children to and from school, especially in high-risk areas.

The kidnapping of Memunah has reignited long-standing worries over child safety in Lagos neighborhoods like Ejigbo, where security infrastructure is often stretched thin. While the ransom demand gives hope that the child may still be alive, every passing day without contact weighs heavily on her family.

As Friday approaches, marking two full months since her disappearance, the Abdulrahman family’s home remains a place of mourning, waiting, and cautious hope. Their plea is simple but desperate: bring Memunah home.

Meanwhile, the public watches and waits—hoping that justice will prevail, and a child will be reunited with her family.