The Anambra State Police Command has raised the alarm over the spate of missing children in schools.

Describing the development as an emergent trend, the command urged parents and guardians to be “extra vigilant” about their children’s whereabouts.

In a statement made available to Southern City News on Tuesday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Haruna Mohammed, enjoined school proprietors to take measures to protect their pupils.

The statement read in part, “Today 17/7/2018 at about 0900hrs, one Jude Ebiowu, male, of Okoti reported at Ogbauru Division that his daughter named Nmachukwu Ebiowu (three) of the same address, left home in company of her mother, Juliana Ebiowu, for graduation ceremony in their school, The Light International School, Okoti.

“As the ceremony went on, the mother noticed her (daughter’s) disappearance and all efforts to find her proved abortive. She is fair in complexion, speaks Igbo fluently and without tribal mark.

“It would be recalled that similar incident occurred last week in Awka when one Chidera Iloka, a four-year-old boy; and Kamsiyochukwu Iloka, female (two), all students of Igwedinma Primary School, Amawbia and children of one Ezekwere Chinonso Rosemary of Number 3, Chidozie Street in Amawbia, also got missing from the school. The report was lodged at Awka and investigation is ongoing to ascertain circumstances surrounding their disappearances and possible trace.”

It added, “In view of the emergent trends of missing persons in the state, parents and guardians are strongly urged to be extra vigilant of their children’s whereabouts and caution them to be wary of strangers.”

The statement urged the public to be on the lookout and give the police useful information that could help to trace the missing persons or any other relevant information to the nearest police station.