The Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has appealed to members of the public for information that will help reunite a 12-year-old girl, Amarachi Amos, with her family in Lagos State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, the ministry disclosed that Amarachi was abducted by three unidentified men at Jakande Estate in Lagos before she was rescued in Edo State.
The ministry stated that the girl was brought to its custody by an officer of the Edo State Police Command after members of a local vigilante group rescued her at Okhuaihe Community along the Benin–Agbor Road.
According to the statement, the child was initially taken to the Divisional Police Headquarters by the vigilante team before being transferred to the Edo State Police Command.
The ministry added that Amarachi was subsequently handed over to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for care and protection.
Narrating her ordeal, the 12-year-old said she had just completed her Primary Six Leaving School Certificate Examination at Doyin Nursery and Primary School in Lagos and lived with her family at Jakande Estate.
She explained that on Friday, July 17, 2026, while running an errand for her mother, a vehicle carrying three unidentified men stopped beside her and she was allegedly forced into the vehicle.
Amarachi further said the men repeatedly demanded the phone number of any of her relatives during the journey, but she could not provide any because she did not remember their phone numbers.
She added that after what she described as a long journey, the men abandoned her at Okhuaihe Community along the Benin–Agbor Road in Edo State, where she was later found by a local vigilante officer and handed over to the police.
The ministry said the girl is currently under its care and protection pending the identification and reunification of her family.
It appealed to residents of Jakande Estate and other parts of Lagos State, as well as members of the public who may know Amarachi Amos or her family, to contact the Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development or the Edo State Police Command with any useful information that could assist in reuniting the child with her parents.
The ministry also reaffirmed its commitment to protecting vulnerable children and ensuring that every child in its care is safely reunited with their family as quickly as possible.
It further urged members of the public to share the information widely until Amarachi is reunited with her loved ones.