Police rescue 10-year-old found wandering in Okpoko, seek his parents
- Anambra police rescued a 10-year-old boy, Chinecherem Onuwasoanya, found wandering in Okpoko on Sunday afternoon.
- The boy said he left home to play and could not find his way back to his family.
- Police have begun efforts to trace his parents or guardians and are asking the public for help.
Police in Anambra State are looking for the family of a 10-year-old boy who was found wandering in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area, on Sunday afternoon.
The boy has been identified as Chinecherem Onuwasoanya. According to the state police command, he told officers he had gone out to play but could no longer find his way home or locate his family members.
A resident who saw him wandering took him to the Okpoko Police Division, where operatives took him in. The police said the child also told them he is from Ebenebe, a community in Anambra State.
The command's spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga, said in a statement that efforts are already under way to reach the boy's parents or guardians and return him safely to his family.
Police ask residents to help
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra, Nnanna Oji Ama, praised the resident who brought the child to the station, describing it as responsible conduct. He urged members of the public to stay alert and keep supporting efforts to protect children and other vulnerable people.
The commissioner also advised parents and guardians to watch over their children closely and take steps that would make them easy to identify and trace if they are ever separated from their families.
Police asked anyone with information that could help find Chinecherem's parents or guardians to contact the Okpoko Police Division or the Anambra State Police Command.
For families in Anambra, the case is a reminder of how quickly a child can slip out of sight in a busy neighbourhood. The police say the boy is safe at the station while the search for his family continues.
What happens next
The police are working to identify and contact the boy's family so he can be reunited with them. Anyone who recognises the name Chinecherem Onuwasoanya, or knows a family in Ebenebe or Okpoko missing a 10-year-old boy, is asked to reach the Okpoko Police Division or the Anambra State Police Command.
