Operatives of the Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps, popularly known as So-Safe Corps, have rescued three siblings who went missing from their home in Ifote Village, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The children, aged 13, 8 and 6, were found sleeping with their belongings at the Arepo railway bridge at about 1:30 am on Tuesday following an overnight search.
Their father, 45-year-old bricklayer, Mr Shittu Dauda, had reported them missing at about 9:45 pm on Monday after discovering they were nowhere to be found.
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Dauda explained that he had instructed the children to go to school for registration before leaving for work. However, he returned home to discover that they had left with their belongings.
Residents reportedly informed the family that the children had said they were travelling to Arepo, where their mother lives.
Following the report, the Divisional Officer of Onireke Division, SC Jinadu Okikiola, mobilised officers to search several communities, including Ifote, Oloparun, Shonekan, Shofowote, Seriki and Kajola, before extending the operation to Arepo.
The siblings were eventually located at the railway bridge and taken back to their community at about 2:30 am.
Their parents were subsequently invited to the division for questioning and counselling.
During the interaction, officers discovered that the couple had been experiencing marital disagreements, which reportedly affected the attention given to their children.
The eldest child reportedly told the officers that she made the decision to leave home with her younger siblings.
The Divisional Officer advised the parents to settle their differences and prioritise their children’s safety. He warned that any future incident that exposes the children to danger could lead to legal action.
He also urged residents to promptly report cases of underage children wandering or travelling without adult supervision to security agencies instead of simply questioning them.
Meanwhile, the State Commander of So-Safe Corps, Commander Soji Ganzallo, praised the officers for their swift response and successful rescue.
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