The family of a three-year-old boy, Naziru Idris, has issued a desperate plea for help after a kidnapper abducted him in front of the Central Mosque in Iwaya, Lagos State.
The heartbreaking incident happened on Tuesday, just after school hours.
Naziru and his eight-year-old sister, Umeda Idris, had stopped at the mosque to pray before heading home.
However, a woman approached them outside the mosque and changed everything.
According to their father, Alhaji Adamu Idris, the woman gave Umeda ₦500 and asked her to buy ice cream for her little brother.
Umeda did as instructed, but when she returned, both the woman and her brother had vanished.
Overcome with fear, she broke down in tears, attracting the attention of passersby who immediately recognised her.
Some residents rushed to alert Alhaji Idris.
He quickly arrived at the scene and searched the area frantically, but he could not find his son. He then reported the abduction at Sabo Police Station.
Speaking with reporters, the father, visibly shaken, begged the Lagos State Government and security agencies to help find his missing son.
He described the trauma his family has faced since the disappearance.
Residents of the Iwaya community expressed outrage over the incident. Many said this was not the first case of a child going missing in the area.
They accused the authorities of failing to improve security in the neighbourhood and called on them to take urgent action to prevent further tragedies.
The Divisional Police Officer of Sabo Police Station, SP Comfort Kehinde Alabi, confirmed the report and said police had begun investigating the case.
However, she stated that no other official cases of missing children in the area had been reported recently.
As the search continues, the family and local residents remain hopeful that little Naziru will return home safely.
