Ghanaian 'wedding guest' missing in Nigeria's Abia State - Report

Afiba Abigail Tandoh, a Ghanaian lady has been reported missing in southeastern Abia State of Nigeria, along with a Nigerian friend, Celine Ndidum.

The two had reportedly travelled to Port Harcourt in Nigeria's south to attend a wedding that was eventually cancelled but they decided to undertake other business-related activities.

These activities led them to move from Port Harcourt (Rivers State) to Aba, the capital of Abia State where they were last seen.

There is strong suspicion that Afiba might have fallen into the hands of kidnappers in the Nigerian commercial city of Aba, a Daily Guide newspaper report stated.

The paper gave Ms. Tandoh's passport number as G3907849.

On Nigeria's social media space, there are reports that the incident happened in April this year.

"A suspect in possession of their belongings named Andrew Amaechi has been arrested by the police," some reports have suggested even though the police have yet to formally comment on the issue.

Daily Guide gives a sequence of how the disappearance happened:

Information available to DGN Online shed light on the intricate sequence of events leading up to Afiba’s sudden disappearance.

Following the unexpected cancellation of the wedding they intended to attend, both Afiba and Celine rendezvoused with another acquaintance, Adiani Blessing Onyinye, whose wedding was called off at Garden Heights Estate in GRA, Port Harcourt on April 19, 2024.

Subsequently, the pair undertook a journey to meet Celine’s associate in Aba, Abia State, on April 27, 2024, purportedly regarding a business engagement centered around pet-related ventures—an area of expertise for the Ghanaian visitor. Promising to return by April 29, Afiba and Celine were last seen at Panyu Hotel and Resort in Abia before their presence became alarmingly absent from public view.

Concern over the fate of the two women escalated dramatically when, on Sunday, April 28, reports emerged hinting at a possible abduction scenario.

An urgent message sent via WhatsApp from Afiba Tandoh phone included a live location marker, directing the recipient—a mutual contact in Port Harcourt—to alert the authorities promptly. In response to this distress call, the matter was swiftly relayed to the Aba Anti Kidnapping Squad, urging collaborative efforts with the esteemed Nigeria Police Force to expedite search and rescue actions in the pursuit of locating the missing individuals.

Amidst the uncertainty surrounding Afiba Abigail Tandoh’s inexplicable vanishing act in a foreign land, familial distress and official apprehension heighten the urgency to unravel the circumstances underpinning this distressing disappearance.

As waves of speculation ripple through the Ghanaian community, the imperative to track down Afiba and her companion underscores the gravity of safeguarding individuals crossing borders and the vital role law enforcement plays in responding decisively to such poignant cases of missing persons.

SARA