Family, CSO protest abduction of 12-year-old girl in Rivers

The family of a 12-year-old girl, Favour Oluwaseyi, who was allegedly kidnapped in August 2024, have called on the Rivers State Police Command to ensure the safe and unconditional release of their daughter.

Favour was abducted on August 7, 2024, from her parents’ residence in Elelenwo, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State.

They warned that failure to meet their demands within 14 days and bring all those behind the abduction to book, they will occupy the command’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.

The Chairman, Coalition of  Rivers State CSOs, Enefa Georgewill, said this during an interview with journalists after a peaceful protest at the police command headquarters on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.

During the protest, the family of Favour and her friends displayed placards with inscriptions such as, ‘Justice for Favour,’ ‘Oh thou God, arise in your anger and favour ‘Favour before great men to fight for Favour’s freedom from her abductors,’ among others.

Georgewill stated, “We are equally saying that if the police, who have failed to address these children here to celebrate Children’s Day with them, fail to provide Favour in two weeks’ time, we will come back here in our numbers and make sure we occupy the police headquarters.”

Georgewill added that the new Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations had assured them that the case would be looked into urgently.

He continued, “The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, is new on the job. We want to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“But so far, they’re just making promises. And these are some of the same promises they’ve been making for the past nine months.”

Speaking, the father of the missing girl, Mr. Ogunsinasi Oluwaseyi, expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the case by the police.

Oluwaseyi stated,  “It has been a very saddening and painful disappointment of the highest level from the Nigerian Police.

“We have gathered here before the Police Headquarters in Rivers State Command and are demanding justice for Favour, demanding her unconditional release, and that everyone culpable in this act should be brought to book.

“We have gone inside. The DC Operations has called us inside and assured us that in two weeks’ time, everyone found to be related to this matter will be called to order.”

The distraught father added, “We will come here, we will have a meeting, and at the end of the day, he has assured us by his word that Favour Oluwatofunmi Oluwaseyi, my own biological daughter, will be returned home alive.

We want her alive. I have said that we will not relent until Favour is back.”

Our correspondent, who covered the protest, reports that on arrival at the state police headquarters, the newly deployed Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations took them into his office for a brief meeting and assured them of immediate action.