House help disappears with family’s two-year-old son in Lagos

Fear and anxiety gripped a Lagos-based couple since December 13, 2021, when their house help, Favour, disappeared with their two-year-old son, Praise Otojareri.

Favour was initially spotted with the boy in Mowe/Ibafo area of Ogun State but she later disappeared with the boy to an unknown destination.

The boy’s father, Peter Otojareri, said Favour, who was introduced to the family by a man the mother knows, decided to employ Favour to cater for their two children, a nine-year-old daughter, and their two-year-old son.

He said the matter has since been reported at the State Criminal Investigation Department Lagos State and that up till today, no word has been heard from Favour or his son.

He said Favour, who is about 14 years old, speaks four languages, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba  fluently. He said Favour is from Imo state.

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He continued that, on December 19, his wife, two children, and Favor left for church. He said while in church, his wife, who is a hairdresser, received a call from a customer who needed her at her shop. He said his wife left the church and gave instructions to Favour to come to the shop with their two children after the close of service.

Mr. Otojareri said immediately after his wife left, Favor went to the children’s church and asked the teachers to release Praise to her. The teacher who has seen the baby boy come with Favour and his mum to church released Praise to her.

‘After some hours, a call came in asking ‘Are you Mummy Favour and Praise?’ She said Favour is her housemaid and Praise is her son and that she has been looking for them for some hours now. The man said they are at Ibafo in Mowe and that Favour said she missed her way that she was going to her sister’s house in Ikotun.” he said.

Mr. Otojareri said his wife told the adults who called to help her hold Favour and her son that she was on her way to meet with them, adding that his wife asked them to drop Favour and her son Praise off at the nearest police station after the adults informed her they were still going to a further distance.

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“By this time some people had gathered saying they wanted to beat Favour up as they suspected it was a case of kidnapping. However, an Alfa came in and asked them not to beat her.

The Alfa said he was going to take the children to the mosque with him. He collected my wife’s number and called her to inform her that he had taken Favour and my child to the mosque.

While they were heading to the mosque, the Alfa said Favour told him that she was going to Ikotun to go and see her sister”

The distraught father said the Alfa took the children to a mosque and then decided to say his prayers. He said the Alfa later told his wife that after his prayers, he returned to where he left Favour and Praise in his mosque and did not see them again. He said he only saw the bag Favour carried that contained Praise’s clothes.