By Rita Enemuru, Reporting
THE Delta State Police Command has called on the public to help reunite a 16-year-old boy, who has been missing for seven years with his family.
The boy, identified as Oghenerukevwe Ovie Wanogo, arrived at the GRA Police Station in Asaba and pleaded for help in finding his family.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, in five-minute video made available to Stonix News on Sunday, said that the boy went missing after he was admitted in the hospital for a knife injury inflicted by his father at the age of nine.
According to him, the boy lost his way in an attempt to locate his home after being admitted in the hospital for three months.
He has since been wandering from place to place, surviving on the kindness of strangers.
Speaking with SP Edafe in the video, Oghenerukevwe recounted the harrowing events that led to his disappearance.
“I was living in Sapele Town with my family in Delta State,” he said. “One day, after I returned from school, my dad suddenly came into the kitchen. I think he was drunk and wasn’t himself.
“He picked up a knife and started chasing me and my mum all over the place.
“He cut my hand with the knife, and some people took me to the hospital.”
Oghenerukevwe revealed that he was hospitalised for over three months, with well-wishers covering some of his medical bills.
While he was admitted, however, neither of his parents came to visit him during his stay.
“When I was discharged, I tried to find my way home but couldn’t. I ended up following trailers that were carrying people to travel, and they took me to Benin City,” he explained. “I grew up in Benin and have been struggling on my own since then.”
He also mentioned his school and family details.
“I was attending Heritage School in Sapele. My father’s name is Ovie Wanogo, and my mother’s name is Caroline Ovie Wanogo,” he stated.
SP Edafe urged members of the public to share the information widely in the hope that Oghenerukevwe’s family or extended relatives will come forward to identify and reunite with him.
“Please retweet, share, and post this video so that either his family or his extended family can see, identify, and come and pick him up,” a police spokesperson said.
Anyone with useful information about Oghenerukevwe’s family is encouraged to visit the GRA Police Station in Asaba or call 09155570008.
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