A Nigerian woman, Lister Mathew Osas, who recently appealed to the public for help in locating her mother’s three children allegedly taken away by their Cameroonian father more than 30 years ago, has announced that the family has finally been reunited.

In an emotional video shared on Instagram on Sunday, Osas revealed that she had successfully connected with her long-lost siblings just two days after launching the public appeal.

“I was able to connect with them yesterday. I was on a two, three hours, almost three hours call last night,” she said.

Describing the reunion as surreal, Osas said speaking with her siblings felt natural despite decades of separation.

“The best thing about this is that it didn’t feel like I was meeting strangers. It feels like we were searching for each other. It feels like we were waiting to meet each other for the longest of time.”

She added that after growing up as an only child, discovering she had two sisters and a brother still felt like a dream.

“I’ve been the only child and knowing that I have sisters and a brother… it feels like I’m in a dream.”

Osas also shared another emotional revelation, saying her mother has now discovered she is a grandmother to 11 children.

“My mother has 11 grandchildren, 11 grandchildren,” she said.

Expressing gratitude to God and everyone who supported the search, she said, “Everybody helped. It feels like the whole world helped me the past two days… God has answered our prayers. God is so faithful.”

She thanked numerous individuals and media organisations that amplified the appeal, including Cameroonian bloggers and Nigerian platforms.

“Thank you to bloggers, the Cameroon bloggers… Nigerian bloggers, I saw Tunde Ednut, Linda Ikeji, PUNCH Newspaper… I’m overwhelmed. Thank you.”

According to Osas, the emotional breakthrough left her and her mother in tears of joy.

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“I’ve cried the entire night till this morning. I’ve just been crying,” she said.

Recalling her mother’s reaction after learning the news, she added, “Mom was screaming. She was asking me, ‘What are you saying? What do you mean? How did you do this?’”

She described the discovery that her mother’s children were alive as the greatest gift.

“The most important is that my mother, her children are alive. She doesn’t just have children, she has grandchildren, 11 of them. God is so good.”

Osas concluded by praying for everyone who shared, commented on and amplified the appeal.

“You will never lack help. For everyone who came out to share posts, comment, like, everything, you will never lack help. God bless you guys.”

The reunion comes days after Osas publicly appealed for help in locating her mother’s three children, Antonia Dibong Mandeng, Maxwell Dibong Mandeng and Victoria Dibong Mandeng, who were allegedly taken to Cameroon by their father, Alfred Dibong Mandeng, from Kaduna in the 1990s.

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