A disturbing incident unfolded on Tuesday, 8 September at St. Joseph Nursery and Primary School in Benue State, just a day after Fr. Reuben Nyim resumed duties as the school’s local proprietor. A young woman identified as Winifred Mngusuun Aende entered the school premises and attempted to take away a male pupil aged approximately seven years.
The woman approached the child and claimed he was her son, stating she had lost him in 2017 and had been searching for him ever since. She insisted the boy was the child she had lost. Staff members immediately alerted the proprietor, who moved swiftly to investigate rather than allow the situation to escalate.
The child’s parents were invited to the school. They emphatically denied any knowledge of the woman or any relationship with her. When questioned in an appropriate manner, the boy himself stated that he was meeting the woman for the first time and did not know her. These responses raised serious concerns about the woman’s claim and the circumstances surrounding her presence on the premises and her attempt to remove the child.
Given the gravity of the matter, officers of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), together with police officers, were contacted and responded promptly. They assisted in securing the situation and preventing further escalation. During the incident, some youths who had gathered at the scene attempted to subject the woman to jungle justice. Their attempt was resisted and prevented through the collective intervention of Fr. Reuben Nyim, Rev. Fr. Amu Jacob, the outgoing proprietor, the NAPTIP officers and the police officers present.
Throughout the episode the primary concern remained the protection of the child, the prevention of harm to the woman, the maintenance of order, and ensuring the matter was properly handed over to the appropriate authorities for investigation. Fr. Nyim later commended the prompt intervention and cooperation of all those involved in stopping both the alleged abduction attempt and the threatened jungle justice.
He noted that such incidents appear to be becoming a fast-growing trend, with nursery schools increasingly targeted, and urged those involved in children’s apostolates to remain vigilant.
