A real-life drama unfolded involving Blessing Okoi, a suspect accused of abducting Hope Evans, a 4-year-old boy, from Community Primary School Azubie in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The incident began on October 31, when Miss Lydia Jonah Gabriel reported her son missing. According to the FCT Police Command spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, school staff stated that an unidentified woman, later identified as Blessing Okoi, lured Hope away from the school premises around 1:28 PM by offering him biscuits and eggs.
The school management, unfamiliar with the suspect, realized the child’s disappearance only later that evening when his family couldn’t locate him. Distressed, Lydia and her family rushed to the school for answers. Local residents referred to the suspect as “Destiny’s mum,” but upon visiting Destiny’s residence, the family discovered that the suspect had hastily vacated the premises that same night.
On November 1, the family returned to the school, where students identified the woman as Destiny’s mother. The family reported the case to the Trans Amadi Police Station, and it was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
Suspecting that the suspect might have fled to Abuja, Lydia’s younger sister reported the case to the FCT Police Command. The Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, ordered an immediate investigation.
After weeks of meticulous efforts, the police tracked Blessing Okoi to Maraba, Abuja, and arrested her on November 29 at 8:00 PM. Hope Evans, who had been missing for over two months, was rescued.
During interrogation, Blessing initially claimed to be the boy’s biological mother, renaming him “David Evans.” However, inconsistencies in her account and photographs provided by the boy’s real mother disproved her claims. She eventually admitted to changing the boy’s name to David and calling him that.
The investigation further revealed that Blessing had deceived her former lover, Evans, into believing that Hope was his biological son, allegedly the result of a past relationship. The ex-boyfriend accepted the boy as his child.
On December 6, Hope’s mother arrived in Abuja and was overjoyed to reunite with her son.
The FCT Commissioner of Police commended the officers for their relentless efforts and advised school authorities to prioritize children’s safety. Meanwhile, the suspect remains in custody and faces additional charges.
In another twist, the suspect was found with another young boy she claimed as her son, alleging the child’s father had passed away.
