The family of a 2-year-old boy, Praise Otojareri is desperately searching for him after he was allegedly taken away from church by their household simply identified as Favour.
The incident occurred on Sunday, the 19th of December, while service was going in the family church in Surulere.
The missing toddler’s father, Moses Otojareri said that a man whom his wife knows very well visited her in their home on Aguda, Surulere with 2 teenage girls who were in need of jobs.
Mr Otojareri added that his wife who runs a hairdressing salon, decided to employ Favour to take care of their 2 children, a 9-year-old daughter and the 2-year-old son.
The aggrieved father said that on the fateful day, December 19, his wife left for church with the 2 children and the househelp, Favour.
While the service was going on, his wife received a call from a customer who needed to be attended to in the salon.
She then left the church and gave instructions to Favour to come to the shop with the kids after the close of service.
Mose Otojareri said that soon after his wife left, Favor went to the children’s church and asked the teachers to release Praise to her.
The church teacher who had seen Favor come to church with Praise and his mum, released the little boy to her. The father said his wife became restless when she waited for hours and did not see them in her shop.
”After some hours, a call came in asking ”Are you Mummy Favour and Praise?’ She said Favour is her housemaid and Praise is her son and that she has been looking for them for some hours now. The man said they are at Ibafor in Mowe and that Favour said she missed her way that she was going to her sister’s house in Ikotun. ”he said
Mr. Otojareri said his wife told the adults who called to help her hold Favour and her son that she was on her way to meet with them. He said his wife asked them to drop Favour and her son Praise off at the nearest police station after the adults informed her they were still going to a further distance.
”By this time some people had gathered saying they wanted to beat Favour up as they suspected it was a case of kidnapping. However, an Alfa came in and asked them not to beat her.
The Alfa said he was going to take the children to the mosque with him. He collected my wife’s number and called her to inform her that he has taken favour and my child to the mosque.
While they were heading to the mosque, the Alfa said Favour told him that she was going to Ikotun to go and see her sister”
The distraught father said the Alfa took the children to a mosque and then decided to say his prayers. He said the Alfa later told his wife that after his prayers, he returned to where he left Favor and Praise in his mosque and did not see them again. He said he only saw the bag Favour carried that contained Praises’ clothes.
Mr Otokareri said his wife on arriving the mosque, raised an alarm, and also alerted the police. The Alfa was arrested. She also led the police to the home of the sister whom Favor claimed she was going to see. The said sister who denied any family ties with Favour was also arrested.
He said the matter has since been reported at the State Criminal Investigation Department Lagos state and that up till today, no word has been heard from Favour or his son. He said Favour who is about 14 years old speaks four languages, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Benue Republic fluently. He said Favour is from Imo state.
He appealed to any member of the public with useful information on how to find his child to call this number 07082873611 or contact the nearest police station.
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