A little boy from Umunze in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State has found himself in Ghana, after allegedly sneaking into a truck loaded with onions from Lagos without the driver knowing.
The video which has gone viral on social media, has sparked public outrage over the alarming porosity of Nigeria’s borders and the failings of her internal security architecture.
According to the viral video , the boy who lives in Lagos with his father, Mr. Iheanacho Nwankwo said he unknowingly boarded the truck under the assumption that it was about to make a nearby turn. He quietly sat inside, waiting for it to stop, only to later realise that he was already in Ghana (without a passport, visa, travel documents, or even money).
The boy’s ability to speak Igbo fluently saved him. His dialect caught the attention of some Igbo traders in Ghana, who stopped, engaged him, and upon hearing his story, came to his rescue.
The Igbo traders, in the video, assured the boy that they will help him to come back to Nigeria.
Pic: The boy, Chinemerem
Although, the video did not capture the name of the boy, some social media users who claimed to know him, identified him as Chinemerem Nwankwo, pledging to reach out to his family members.
The boy’s story showed serious lapses in Nigeria’s security border control, and the safety of citizens, particularly children.
Ironically, while security agents mount aggressive and sometimes oppressive stop-and-search operations in the South East, innocent children, weapons, and criminals might be slipping in and out of the country unchallenged through loosely monitored entry and exit points.
For safety of children, there is need for parents and guardians to be more vigilant over their children.
Many people stressed the need for parents and guardians to teach their children their native language, noting that the boy knows his roots and speaks his language fluently and the traits saved him in a foreign land;
Author: Maureen Ikpeama