By Amara Agha, Abakaliki
A single mother from Ebonyi State, Mrs. Ebere Aleke, has cried out for help, alleging that her young son has been kept in a children’s home in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for years despite her efforts to reclaim him.
Aleke, a native of Ukwuagba Ngbo in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, made the appeal while addressing journalists in Abakaliki at the weekend.
She said her ordeal began in 2021 when her toddler went missing in Onitsha, Anambra State, where she lived and survived by hawking pap along the streets.
According to her, the child’s biological father abandoned her shortly after she became pregnant, leaving her to singlehandedly cater for the boy after his birth.
Aleke explained that due to the nature of her business, she usually left the child with a woman from her community while she went out to hawk.
She said trouble started one day when she returned from the day’s business and could not find the child, while the woman she left him with claimed the boy had followed her when she left for work.
The distressed mother said she searched for the child for years until 2023 when she allegedly discovered that he was being kept at a children’s home in Port Harcourt after reportedly being picked up by the police.
She further alleged that when she visited the facility and identified the child, the managers insisted she must pay ₦150,000 for a DNA test before the boy could be released to her.
Aleke said she raised the money and paid for the test but claimed the management of the home never released the result to her and continued to keep the child in their custody.
She also alleged that the home is now demanding ₦1.5 million for another DNA test, prompting her to appeal to the Ebonyi State Government, the Nigeria Bar Association, journalists, human rights groups and other well-meaning Nigerians to help her recover her son.
Efforts to reach the management of the children’s home in Port Harcourt for comments were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
