Blind mother seeks Lagos CP’s help over missing child

Agnes Forte, a visually impaired mother, has made an appeal to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fayoade Adegoke, to step in and assist in the search for her missing one-year-old baby, Excel.

The distressing news of Excel’s disappearance surfaced on Tuesday, November 28, in the Akowonjo area of Lagos State, leaving Agnes and her family in immense anguish.

Recounting the ordeal to our PUNCH Metro on Sunday, Agnes expressed her deep distress, stating, “Since Excel went missing, I and my husband have been in a state of constant distress. I am particularly tormented by my inability to actively participate in the search due to my visual impairment. On the day of the incident, we sought help from the police, filed a report, and provided a statement, but there has been no progress since then.”

She further added, “The police station we approached in the Shasha area during the search informed us that the station we initially reported to should have relayed the information immediately. They expressed that this would have increased the chances of finding their whereabouts. It feels like the authorities are not treating our case with the seriousness it deserves possibly due to our financial circumstances. We implore the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to intervene and expedite the resolution of our case.”

In an interview with our correspondent on December 10, Agnes disclosed that Excel was with her stepsister, Joy, at the time of her disappearance.

She detailed that Joy and Excel were playing in the corridor of their residence when she suddenly lost auditory contact with them, and all subsequent efforts to locate them have been futile.

Agnes explained, “Upon finishing our meal, my baby ventured outside to play. I instructed Joy to bring her back inside, but Joy defied my request. Shortly after, Joy lured Excel to play further along the corridor. I distinctly recall hearing Joy sing, ‘Jumping, jumping’ thrice, and then silence. Despite calling out to them, there was no response. I alerted my neighbors, and also discovered that money and my ATM card were missing from my bag, along with some of Joy’s clothes. In the midst of all this, my elder daughter, who was unwell, reported Joy fleeing. We searched tirelessly, but they were nowhere to be found.”