*Cautioned parents and caregivers to be vigilant
—Empowered Affected parents with palliative

By Matthias Ogbagah

UGHELLI – The Ughelli North council boss, Olorogun Jaro Egbo, has banned activities of iron scavengers popularly known as “Iron condemned” in Agbarho kingdom in Ughelli North local government area of Delta State following the alleged abduction of twenty-six (26) in the kingdom.

Egbo handed down the directive during an emergency security meeting of the council held on Tuesday, June 10, 202,5, at his office conference hall.

The extraordinary emergency security meeting of the council occasioned by the alleged abduction of children in some quarters of the council area saw the presence of all security cooperatives, womenfolk of Agbarho kingdom, and representatives of the royal palace of Agbarho kingdom in attendance.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the meeting, Egbo disclosed that the purpose of the meeting was to hear directly from the people on the alleged missing children in Agbarho communities.

According to him, an investigative team has been launched, headed by the Area Commander of Ughelli police command, ACP Adebay, with a charge to find a lasting solution to the problem and to avert future recurrence, the team will conduct a proper investigation to unearth those behind the abduction of children in the kingdom.

“As against the report circulating in the media that 26 children are missing in Agbarho Kingdom, for now, we have been able to confirmed seven of them, though it’s a sad one to us but we will ensure we do our best to go in search of them, and to put a measure in place to avert future reoccurrence.

“I have charged the security agencies to conduct a proper investigation to unearth those seven children who are missing. We have taken their photographs, names of the children, and those of their parents.

“We have also promised to support one of the mothers who is still in school to go back and study, and to also give two other affected mothers palliative for them to start up a business of their own for them to take care of themselves and their children, while the government and the security agencies hit the ground running in search of the children.”

While expressing dissatisfaction, he said, the government was unaware of the happening since the first case of child abduction took place in December 2024, as reported by one of the affected mothers during the meeting.

“An iron scavenger popularly known as ‘Iron Condemned’ was allegedly caught in the process of kidnapping a child in Agbarho Kingdom, as reported by one of the affected mothers, and the case was reported at Agbarho police station.

While banning the activities of the scavengers popularly known as “Iron Condemned” in Agbarho kingdom till they are properly profiled in Agbarho Kingdom, he vowed to arrest any scavenger caught and will be made to face the full weight of the law.

He called on parents, caregivers, and the general public to be vigilant at all times and to always report unsuspected faces and cases of criminal activities in their area to the security agencies.

He charged all parents to advise their children to shun the push to get-rich-quick syndrome, which has led so many youths into committing blood rituals, yahoo yahoo (Advance fee fraud 419), kidnapping, Armed robbery, and other social vices.