Family thrown into confusion over 13-yr-old girl abducted since 2013

It was gathered that the teenage Junior Secondary School (JSS 2) student, left home on November 28, 2013, at about 5pm, when her mother sent her to deliver some smoked fish to a customer in the neighbouring Awoyaya area, and had failed to return home till night fall.

Also Read: " In Sokoto: 14- year old girl abducted"

The family reported the case to the police at the Elemoro Police Division after a search party organized by the community failed to track her down.

It was gathered that a week after the girl went missing, a phone number began to call the family repeatedly, but the caller reportedly refused to say anything whenever anyone picked it or called back.

The phone number was then given to the police at the State Criminal Investigation Bureau (SCIB), Ikeja, where the case was transferred to, and the police tracked the number to Umuahia, Abia State, while the owner of the line was identified as one Kelvin Umaru.

During its investigation, the SCIB operatives arrested a man identified only as Pius, in November 2015, in Calabar, Cross River State, who was said to be in possession of the number.

When Pius was brought to Lagos, he was alleged to have confessed that he had called Janet’s parents because he saw their number saved on the sim card which he got from his stepfather, Kelvin Umaru.

Pius was reportedly released on bail by the police in December, 2015, after the police assured the family of the girl that they would go after the said Umaru.

But till now, the family members say they have yet to hear anything from the police about the case or the whereabouts of their daughter.

Janet’s father, Godwin Eyoma, said his daughter knew his phone number by heart, and he suspected that her abductors had taken her to Abia State, where they obtained his number from her.

Also Read: "Tears Of A Father: Man cries out after 3 children go missing"

He added that it had not been easy for him and his wife searching for their daughter for three years and pleaded with the police to help him ensure his daughter is rescued.

“On that day, she had returned from school as usual, and her mother sent her to deliver some smoked fish to a customer in Awoyaya. It was a walking distance and an errand she was used to. The time was around 5pm.

We expected her to come back, but it was never to be. We rushed to the customer’s place around 7pm and she said she never saw her. When I reported to the police at Elemoro, they transferred the case to the SCIB, Ikeja.

Someone called my number a week after Janet went missing and when I picked it, the caller refused to talk. The person called four times on that day; so we gave the number to the police. The police later told us the suspicious calls were from Abia State.

In October 2015, the police were able to arrest one Pius in Calabar, Cross River State. But the suspect was later granted bail after he named one Kelvin Umaru, who he allegedly got the sim card from.

Since February 2016, I have not heard anything from the police. The police allowed the suspect to speak with Kelvin (Umaru) and others on the telephone. So, the police might have given Kelvin a reason to flee. I want my daughter back. It is not easy looking for a child for three years.”

But the police on their part, said they did all they could to track down the suspect but they do not have the money to pursue the case further and that the parents of the girl should mobilize them financially if they want them to travel to Umuahia to search for the girl.

A police source said:

“Pius is a young man. He is just about 21. He told us he got the number from Kelvin, his stepfather. The young man did not know the number he used was suspicious. We had to release him on bail because a lawyer showed up and signed for him.

The next move is to find Kelvin in Umuahia, but we don’t have money. The father of the girl knows what to do.”