A boy kidnapped in 2017 from Port Harcourt has been reunited with his family after seven years, following a courageous escape and report to authorities in Ondo State.
The boy, who was taken at age eight by a man identified as Mr. Taye—then a worker at the Port Harcourt slaughterhouse—managed to alert police in Ondo, prompting an investigation. According to family sources, Taye fled after being asked to undergo a DNA test to prove his paternity.
Now a teenager, the boy returned home on his own after raising ₦30,000 to make the journey. His family was overjoyed to welcome him back, although they noted he now speaks Yoruba fluently and has forgotten his native Igbo dialect, once spoken fluently in their Ngwa household.
The boy’s uncle identified as Nwekere Nwoko described him as intelligent and fearless, recounting that he was nicknamed “Ojukwu” in childhood for his strong spirit. The family has expressed deep gratitude for his safe return and emphasized their desire to avoid ethnic stereotyping in the aftermath.
Authorities are reportedly continuing investigations into the abduction.
