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10-Month-Old Child Briefly Kidnapped In Margibi County, Liberia

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PHOTO: Beautiful little child who was said to be briefly kidnapped

By Moses M. Tokpah, mosesmtokpah@gmail.com

KAKATA, Liberia- A 10-month-old child (girl) identified as Favor briefly stayed in the hands of an unknown kidnapper, before being rescued in the Margibi County capital, 74 kilometers east of Monrovia.

Her fate could have been death or something else, as she was reportedly  kidnapped by the unknown man.

The child was reportedly kidnapped by the man from her Moses Brown Quarter residence during the morning hours of Tuesday, June 7, 2022. But the little girl was later rescued by a woman identified as Miracle Tokpah.  After that, news of little Favor’s kidnapped spread like wild fire.

Police in the area are said to be in search of the alleged kidnapper, whose motive is not known.

This incident comes amid a rise in mysterious disappearances, deaths as well as an increase in trafficking of persons in Liberia.

The mother of the child, Marina in a confused mood, spoke to Journalists at the headquarters of the Women and Children Protection Section (WACPS) of the Liberia National Police explaining what happened.

She said she left for work on Tuesday and while at the job site, she received a call from the caretaker of her daughter that the child was taken away by an unknown man, thus requesting her to return home quickly.

“Because she and myself bathed this girl this morning, I left the girl with her, she said a lady at back took the girl to play with her, so the girl went to buy minute then the unknown boy came and say he want to take the girl to where I don’t know, leaving the house through the back door,” the little girl’s mother narrated.

Little Favor’s mother explained that she immediately returned home and went on the Firestone Plantation via motorbike in search of her daughter and she was informed by bystanders that the unknown kidnapper passed by them with the child, but he later returned to Kakata.

Marina also explained that an announcement was then placed on the local radio station in Kakata, while motorcyclists were also in search of the little child on the various Divisions of Firestone, Liberia.

The child’s mother said that she made her way to Harbel, Firestone to also announce on the local radio station that her daughter was being kidnapped, noting that while returning to Kakata, she received call that the child was being rescued.

She however told Reporter that she has no connection with the alleged kidnapper as she leaves for work every morning and returns home after work. The child’s mother furthered said that she never had any misunderstanding with anyone prior to her child being kidnapped.

Marina then lauded the media, the motorcyclists and all those who were involved into searching for her daughter. Madam Marina used the occasion to call on other mothers to be careful with their children.

Child’s caretaker’s account

For her part, the caretaker of little Favor, Amanus Smith said she left the child with one of her cousins and went to the market. Bnt upon her return, she asked her cousin who told her that the child went to the back of the house.

Madam Smith explained that within seconds, her cousin returned and asked her (Amanus Smith) whether she saw the child with anyone passing by her and she responded ‘no’.

The caretaker explained: “She told me she but the child was behind the house they say one boy was sitting at the back of the house he took the child…he say he carrying the child to ‘Example’ on the road and from there we started to ask Example, Example say but I don’t get the child we started to go around to check for the child; that the only thing I know about the child,” the caretaker of the child narrated.

Madam Smith asserted that she does not know the fellow who allegedly kidnapped the child but said her cousin informed her that she knows the boy and that it was his second time going to the house, stating that the first time he went there she insulted him, in order to make him leave the yard.

When the news broke that the child has gone missing, the caretaker explained that they were moving from one “Zogo” camp (wayward youths) to another, searching for the child and her kidnapper when she called Favor’s mother.

Madam Smith has meanwhile, said that the latest unsuccessful kidnap of little Favor has taught her a lesson not to even leave a child alone for a second.

Also speaking, the rescuer of the child, Miracle Tokpah said explained that while she and her sister were seated at their house between 10am and 11am, they saw the an unknown man with the child who was asleep in his hand.

Miracle said that the beauty of the child attracted their attention and so they both started to discuss about her beauty. Then the alleged kidnapper told them that the mother of the child came from Gbarnga and “dashed her on him”, refusing to listen to him and other individuals who decided to advise her.

Miss Miracle mentioned that she requested for the child from the unknown kidnapper who accepted her request, gave her the child, sat with them and started explaining to them how arrogant the mother of the child is.

According to Miracle, her sister requested the guy to take the child to her mother but he insisted that he can’t follow the girl with the baby and that he does not want to talk with her on grounds that she ran away with his first son.

She indicated that her sister told him that the child was asleep and as such, she wanted to take her into her room but the alleged kidnapper disagreed and requested that the child stays with them in order to call his mother to go and meet them.

Miracle Tokpah intimated that the unknown guy gave them fake number that he claimed belongs to his mother, but said number did not ring after dialing it in an attempt to call her (his mother).

She then told the man that she can take the child, but she insisted that she followed him to where he claimed to be renting, in order for residents of the area to prove that he and the ‘mother’ of the child were in a relationship.

The woman rescuer further explained that the strange guy took her to places he falsely claimed to have come from.

Miracle continued: “We crossed the water, passing through cassava farm before going around Francis Lewis Farm, then he say in fact seh that the house where I live in but what fooled me is because he was get key in his hand. So, when we reached around the house he say oh Miracle that here I eh I say but nobody in this house the girl that in this house I know this girl.”

She added: “He say you know the girl? I say yes he say but the girl na here but let go to my landlord, I follow him again then he went to certain apartment, that three apartment wor there house for rent but one woman inside he call the woman he just ask the woman, this woman here? The woman say no the woman na go I say which one of the woman you discussing? He say that the landlord, how the landlord will come rent they say he gone?

In addition, Miracle also said the unknown man requested her to return the child to him if she was tired toting her, but she (Miracle) insisted on grounds that she has to go to his ‘mother’ and verify his claims that the lady is arrogant and she has refused to cater for the child after which they would go to the Police Station.

According to Miracle, another reason she refused to give the child to the alleged kidnapper was because people saw her with the child and it could not be a good thing had she returned the child and something goes wrong thereafter.

She recounted that the guy again requested that they go to another another house he claimed to be renting and while on their way he requested her to return home with the little girl in order for him to go and get his mother on ground that the sun was shining, but she resisted at which time the alleged kidnapper held her by her shirt.

While arguing, Miracle said she saw her neighbor (Mohammed B. Kamara) and explained the story to him; and they both concluded that the child be taken to the Police Station.

The female child rescuer said while en route to the Police station, a lady testified that she knew the alleged kidnapper’s fiencee but she was not convinced. She (Miracle) insisted that the unknown man gets his mother, in order for them to get at the Police Station for questioning.

While in that process, Miracle revealed that the man agreed to go and call his mother but did not return. It was some time later that motorcyclists, who were part of the search for the missing child, located her and little Favor. And they all thereafter went to the headquarters of the Liberia National Police Margibi detachment in Kakata.

Meanwhile, the alleged kidnapper is still on the run, as Police in Kakata say they are carrying on a thorough investigation.

The mother of the child, the caretaker and the rescuer were on Tuesday at the Women and Children Protection Section of the Liberia National Police in Kakata for questioning.

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