Two blind students attending the Special Secondary School for the Blind in Opefia Community, Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have been declared missing by their families and school authorities.
The students — 17-year-old Augustine Onwunyiruba (male, JS3) and 16-year-old Onyenaturuchukwu Lawerence (female, SS1) — were last seen on June 5, 2025. Since then, no trace of them has been found.
Their distraught parents, Mr. Lawerence Ikegwu and Mr. Onwunyiruba Odinaka, have made an emotional appeal to Governor Francis Nwifuru and security agencies in Ebonyi to intensify efforts in locating their children. They expressed concern over what they described as inadequate response from the school management and limited progress from law enforcement.
“When we first got the news, we thought it was a misunderstanding. But days passed and nothing changed,” one parent lamented. “We’ve searched everywhere without results. The school doesn’t seem committed to getting to the bottom of it.”
The families have since lodged a formal complaint with the Ebonyi office of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), urging the government and public to act swiftly.
“We are calling on Governor Francis Nwifuru to step in and ensure our children are brought back safely. We’re not financially strong — we need support from both the authorities and the general public,” they pleaded.
According to the Ebonyi State Police Command, investigations are ongoing. Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed that the case has been communicated to other state commands and publicized via radio broadcasts. However, no leads have emerged so far.
Mr. Christopher Okorie, the NHRC State Coordinator, also affirmed that the commission is actively following the case, calling on all stakeholders to do everything possible to locate the missing students and ensure their safe return.
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