Two Benue Teenagers Rescued in Abuja After Using School Fees to Travel

Two teenage girls from Benue State have been rescued after they were found wandering along a road in Abuja.

The girls, identified as Elizabeth Ebonyi and Hannah Okpe from Itogo Ipinu in Obi Local Government Area, reportedly used their school fees to travel from their community to the Federal Capital Territory without their parents’ knowledge.

Their rescue was disclosed in a Facebook post on Monday, January 26, 2026, by a Benue youth leader, Rt. Comr. Cletus Adole Aruta, President General of the Omi Ny’Igede Youth Wing Development Association (ONYWDA) Worldwide.

According to Aruta, the teenagers arrived in Abuja on January 13, 2026, where they were handed over to a woman for domestic work. He said the girls later left the woman’s residence on January 24, citing alleged maltreatment.

They were subsequently found wandering along Abacha Road in the Mararaba area and were taken into police custody. Their case came to the attention of Igede community leaders in Abuja, who intervened and took responsibility for their welfare.

Aruta stated that preliminary findings showed the girls were not victims of organized trafficking but had travelled on their own initiative. He directed that they be handed over to leaders of the Itogo community in Abuja for arrangements to return them home.

He added that plans are underway to reunite the teenagers with their parents, with conditions aimed at ensuring their return to education or vocational training. Community task forces are also expected to be involved in the handover process.

Aruta commended members of the ONYWDA Abuja branch and leaders of the Itogo Progressive Association for their swift response and support, while calling for renewed efforts to address child trafficking, child labour, and substance abuse within Igede communities.