An Algerian man, Omar Bin Omran, who went missing at the age of 17, 26 years ago following an alleged kidnapping, has been found alive in his neighbour’s house.

According to Daily Mail on Wednesday, Omar was discovered in a hole in the ground within a sheep pen, concealed under stacks of hay.

Omar, one of nine children, disappeared in the city of Djelfa, Algeria, 26 years ago. His family believed he had been killed during the civil war that ravaged the nation in the 1990s and early 2000s.

According to reports, Omar was found less than 200 meters from his family’s home. A 61-year-old neighbour is now in police custody after Omar, now 45, was rescued on May 12.

The missing man found

Footage was shared on social media and broadcast on Algerian television networks of the moment that he was found in what appeared to be a hole in the ground, described by authorities as a sheep pen, within the home of his alleged captor.

The blurry video shows torchlights shining into a pit surrounded by hay as Omar furtively looks up, seemingly in shock at the search party surrounding him, with stray pieces of straw in his hair.

Other images have since been circulated of the bearded man emerging from the hole, thought to be a sheep pen, and of him as a teenager, sitting with a dog and with young children before he disappeared.

According to the Algerian newspaper El Khabar, his dog recognized his scent and stayed near where Omar was held. It was alleged that the captor poisoned the dog to ward the family off.

Omar went missing in 1998 while heading to a vocational school. He was found after the captor’s brother aired grievances on social media, reportedly over an inheritance dispute.

This led Omar’s family to search the neighbour’s house, where they found him. The captor attempted to flee but was restrained and arrested.

Tragically, Omar’s mother died in 2013 without knowing the fate of her son. Reports suggest Omar was informed of his mother’s death while in captivity.

A relative said on Facebook: ‘Thank god my cousin was found. Bin Imran Omar is in good health after 26 years of disappearance. Awaiting details of the case and investigations.’

Public prosecutors in Djelfa, a mountain city of around 500,000 people around 140 miles south of coastal capital Algiers, say Omar will receive psychological care after being rescued as they vowed to get him justice.

‘The Djelfa Attorney General’s Office informs the public that on May 12 at 8 pm local time, it found victim Omar B, aged 45, in the case of his neighbour, B.A., aged 61,’ they said in a statement.

A court official in Djelfa was quoted as saying: “Two days ago, on 12 May 2024, the Public Prosecutor’s Office received, through the regional department of the National Gendarmerie in El Jadid, a complaint against an anonymous person claiming that the complainant’s brother, Omar bin Omran, who has been missing for about 30 years, is in the house of one of his neighbours, inside a sheepfold.

Following this report, the General Prosecutor of the Court of Idrisiya in the province of Djelfa ordered the National Gendarmerie to open an in-depth investigation and officers went to the house in question.

He added: “The Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered that the victim receive medical and psychological treatment, and the suspect will be presented to the Public Prosecutor’s Office immediately after the completion of the investigation.”

Officials have promised the ‘perpetrator of this heinous crime’ will be tried with ‘severity.’

The suspect, a civil servant, lived alone but was often seen buying enough food for two people. A neighbour recounted to Algerian TV station Bilad that Omar’s mother died without knowing her son was so close by.

Questions have arisen about why Omar did not call for help during his captivity. Some reports claim Omar said he was unable to call out because of a spell cast by his captor, while others suggest his psychological state may have prevented him from seeking help.

The case may be among the world’s longest-running kidnapping cases. Eleven-year-old Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped in Meyers, California in 1991 and remained missing for over 18 years after she was captured by Phillip and Nancy Garrido.

Dugard was kept in depraved conditions and was subjected to extreme sexual abuse, having two children by Phillip Garrido, and later said she adapted to sympathising with her captors to survive.

Speakers of 36 Houses of Assembly on Thursday declared their support for the establishment of state police to tackle insecurity in the country.

They urged the National Assembly to include the proposal for state police among bills it will consider during their ongoing processes to amend the constitution.

They also urged President Bola Tinubu to take further measures to mitigate the current hardship by Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy and other economic policies.

The Speakers under the aegis of Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria made these assertions in a communique they issued at the end of their meeting in Abuja.

The communique was signed by Chairman, of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria Adebo Ogundoyin.

They also pledged their readiness to approve the a Bill on creation of State police if included as part of the constitution review.

The communique reads: “The Conference strongly advocates for state policing to check the negative trend of insecurity in our country.

“To achieve this, the Conference appeals to the National Assembly, Presidency and other relevant stakeholders to leverage on the ongoing constitution review exercise.”

The Conference of Speakers acknowledged the “courage of the President on his economic policies taken so far such as the removal of Petroleum product subsidy and the floating of the exchange rate.”

They noted that “the unintended consequences of these policies are too harsh on the populace.”

They added: “We therefore, urge the Federal Government and State Governments to initiate sustainable policies with equal measure of courage to ameliorate the sufferings of the people.

“The Conference observed that in spite of the constitutional provisions that grant Financial Autonomy to the State Legislature, the implementation has been observed in breach.

“We therefore, call on all the relevant stakeholders to comply with all the provisions in the Constitution and not by breach.”

The state legislatures helmsmen also appealed to the warring parties in Rivers State politics terrain to sheath their sword.

“The Conference appeals to the relevant political leaders in Rivers State to explore peaceful means to resolve the near impasse situation between the Legislative and Executive Arms of government of the state,” they said.

A catholic priest Rev. Fr. Basil Chukwuemeka Gbuzuo popularly known as ‘Man Pass Man but nothing pass God’ has been reportedly kidnapped by yet-to-be-identified gunmen

According to reports, Rev. Fr. Basil Chukwuemeka Gbuzuo who’s a catholic priest of the Onitsha Archdiocese and the Spiritual Director of Mountain of Solution Catholic Adoration Ministry (MOSCAM) was kidnapped on Wednesday, May 15 2024.

His arrest was also confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Chancellor of the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, Rev. Fr. Prudentius E. Aroh, who said the Catholic cleric was kidnapped at about 8.am on Wednesday, along the Eke Nkpor—Obosi Bypass.

While noting that Fr. Gbuzuo is a Priest-in-Residence at the Holy Trinity Catholic Parish, Ogidi, the Chancellor also revealed that the abductors have not established any contact with anybody regarding the priest.

“His Grace, Most Rev. Valerian M. Okeke, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha, invites all Christ’s faithful and all men and women of goodwill to earnestly pray for the quick and safe release of the priest as we intensify our efforts to ensure his freedom.

“We commend our brother, Fr. Basil, to the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests, for his speedy release from the hands of his kidnappers,” he said.

Reacting to the development, Anambra Police command said a manhunt for the arrest of kidnappers and to secure safe release of the Priest is already in motion.

The police in a terse statement by its Spokesperson in the State, Ikenga Tochukwu, added that the new Commissioner of Police in the State, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, had addressed and allayed the fears of the Catholic priests regarding the incident, assuring of his safe rescue.

“The Command is already working with some eyewitnesses to the incident in the ongoing operation.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of “Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam while addressing the Catholic priests allayed their fears and assured them that the Command would do everything to rescue unhurt the priest, and arrest the abductors.

“Further development shall be communicated, please,” Ikenga, a Superintendent of Police said.