Four children forcefully taken away from their mother and kept under lock and key for nine months have been rescued by security operatives led by officials of the Anambra State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare.
According to The PUNCH, this was disclosed to journalists in a press statement on Saturday by Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, media aide to the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo.
The children were rescued on Friday, at Worliwor community in Onitsha after their mother, Chinenye Orajiaka, complained to the ministry.
Orajiaka had alleged that her sister-in-law, Ndidi Orajiaka, forcefully took her children into custody and refused her access to them, after separation from her husband.
The statement added that when security operatives stormed the location, the children were found in a room under lock and key, which made rescue efforts difficult.
The statement read, “According to the complainant, the whole issue started when her husband, Izuchukwu Orajiaka, separated from her and took the children away while they were still in Lagos.
“She noted that since then, she had been going around looking for her four children without knowing that they had been sent to live with her sister-in-law who had been maltreating them for nine months.
“She explained that all efforts to get her children had not been fruitful until she came to the ministry and got results.
“The ministry officials revealed that the culprit had kept the children under lock and key which made it difficult for security officers to rescue them. When the officials and security operatives got to the place, the kids were excited to see their mother and pleaded that they be taken away from there.
“Meanwhile the culprit denied maltreating the children and said they only look unkempt because they are lazy.”
