By Tony Adibe
Three teenagers who were said to have been abducted, confined and subjected to months of torture have been rescued after escaping from a residence in Heliu Estate along the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway in Enugu State.
The incident, said to have occurred on June 11, 2026, has triggered outrage among residents and human rights advocates, with calls for a thorough investigation and prosecution of the culprits.
In a petition submitted to Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah by the President of Enugu-based Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), Barrister Olu Omotayo, CRRAN said that the victims identified as Joseph Ibangwu, Izuchukwu Junior and Miracle Tochukwu were discovered by residents after fleeing from a house within the estate where they had purportedly been held against their will since March 16, 2026.
CRRAN appealed to the Enugu State Government to ensure that all those involved are identified, investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law. According to Omotayo, residents who encountered the teenagers said they appeared “weak, malnourished and bore visible wounds and scars allegedly resulting from repeated physical abuse.”
The teenagers reportedly told security officials that they had been brought from Ebonyi State with the promise of employment at a business operated by a resident of the estate, Omotayo said in the statement. But upon arrival, they were allegedly “locked inside a room, had their mobile phones confiscated and were prevented from leaving the premises,” he also disclosed in the statement.
He said that the teenagers further alleged that they were fed only once daily, mainly with plain rice, and were subjected to frequent beatings. Their movements were said to have been monitored through surveillance cameras installed around the house.
Omotayo said the teenagers seized an opportunity to escape when their alleged captor reportedly forgot to lock the door. They ran from the building and sought help from residents of the estate, according to CRRAN.
The rights body said that officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), who maintain a security post within the estate, were said to have taken custody of the teenagers and arrested a suspect in connection with the incident.
According to the CRRAN President, the victims were subsequently taken to a medical facility for treatment due to the severity of their injuries. Meanwhile, the matter has since been transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Nigeria Police Force in Enugu for further investigation, Omotayo said.
However, the CRRAN President has strongly condemned the alleged acts, describing them as a “heinous crime” and a violation of human rights.
NewsBits reports that the concerned authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the allegations as investigations continue.
