In a heart-wrenching account from Onyinyechi Ogbu, the mother of 6-year-old Mercy Tochi, the family has shared their traumatic experience after the girl went missing from Ejigbo Modern Nursery and Primary School on April 2, 2025. The mother alleges that Mercy was waiting for her elder who was playing ball in the school compound and vanished afterward, leaving only her school bag behind. Despite the family’s continuous efforts, they claim to have faced indifference, delays, and financial exploitation.
Onyinyechi recounts her desperate attempts to seek help, including reporting to the police, only to face further complications when a child trafficker allegedly demanded a ransom for Mercy’s release. Despite providing evidence, including a bank transaction, Onyinyechi’s family claims the police response was slow, and they were pressured to pay additional fees for tracking the trafficker’s number.
In a further troubling twist, the family alleges that the school staff, particularly the class teacher, was uncooperative.
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When First Daily visited the school, the Head Teacher and staff refused to comment, instead directing the reporter to the school’s owners and providing no contact details.
The Ogbu family now appeals to the Inspector General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police for intervention, demanding a thorough investigation into Mercy’s disappearance and the alleged mishandling of the case by the police and school authorities.
For a deeper understanding of the family’s ordeal, watch the exclusive video interview with Onyinyechi Ogbu, where she shares her heart-wrenching story. The video is attached to this report.