Benue State has been plagued by recurring violent attacks, kidnappings, and killings, often attributed to armed herdsmen, leaving residents in a state of fear and insecurity.
The pain and uncertainty of not knowing the whereabouts of her four-year-old daughter have become an unbearable burden for Mrs. Blessing Iornem, whose child has remained missing for nearly two weeks following an alleged abduction in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
Little Mary Nguemo Iornem was reportedly taken on July 26, 2026, from Awe Street under circumstances that have left her family devastated and desperately appealing for help from security agencies and the public.
Recounting the incident, Mrs. Iornem said the child was allegedly lured out of their compound by a neighbour, identified as Ezinne Innocent, who asked the four-year-old to check whether the owner of a nearby shop was around.
According to the distraught mother, her nanny, Gift, noticed the child heading out and immediately called her back, insisting that she should not go alone.
However, Mrs. Iornem alleged that Ezinne intervened and persuaded the nanny to accompany the little girl to the shop. She reportedly volunteered to hold the infant the nanny was carrying to make it easier for them to go.
Mrs. Iornem further explained that while the nanny and the child were on their way, they encountered a woman they knew, who was with a motorcyclist.
She alleged that the pair asked the two girls to help push the motorcycle. Although Gift initially resisted, she eventually agreed because the woman was someone they recognised.
According to the mother, once the motorcycle started, the rider offered both Gift and Mary a lift, assuring them that they would be returned shortly afterwards.
The journey, however, took a frightening turn.
Mrs. Iornem said that when they arrived near Shafa Filling Station in the Wurukum area of Makurdi, the motorcyclist claimed the motorcycle had run out of fuel. He allegedly handed Gift ₦500 and an empty bottle, asking her to cross the road and buy fuel.
Gift reportedly complied, but when she returned, the motorcyclist, the woman and little Mary had all disappeared.
The disappearance has thrown the family into anguish, with frantic efforts to locate the child yielding no success.
Mrs. Iornem, a mother of five, described the emotional toll the incident has taken on her family, noting that Mary, the third of her children, has not been seen since that day.
She appealed to security agencies and members of the public to assist in finding her daughter and ensuring her safe return.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Orchia Peter Aondona, did not respond to enquiries sent to him as of the time of filing this report.
