The Bayelsa State Police Command has charged eight suspects before the State High Court over the disappearance of Amarachi Blessing Ogbonna, a one-year-and-ten-month-old girl, who went missing from a church premises in Bayelsa State on June 21, 2026.
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Amarachi reportedly disappeared during a church service after her mother left her at the children’s section of the church. At the end of the service, the child could not be found, while those responsible for supervising the children were reportedly unable to explain her whereabouts.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Musa Mohammed, disclosed on Friday that eight persons identified during investigations had now been charged to court and were awaiting arraignment before the Bayelsa State High Court, Yenagoa Judicial Division.
The case was filed as Charge No. BYHC/YHC/CR./81/2026.
The police statement followed claims circulating on social media accusing the command of failing to act promptly over the disappearance.
Responding to the allegations, the command said the narrative did not accurately reflect the steps taken by investigators since the case was reported.
According to Mohammed, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), acting on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, took over the investigation from the Ekeki Division and commenced what the command described as intensive efforts to establish what happened to the child.
“The Command wishes to state, for the avoidance of doubt, that the narrative does not reflect the true nature of the event,” the statement said.
“Upon receipt of the report, the operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), acting on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, swiftly took over the investigation from Ekeki Division and commenced intensive investigative efforts.”
Police said several persons were identified and arrested during the investigation.
“Based on the facts and evidence so far established, eight suspects have been charged to court and are awaiting arraignment before the High Court of Bayelsa State, Yenagoa Judicial Division, in Charge No. BYHC/YHC/CR./81/2026,” the command said.
It added that other persons initially questioned or arrested during the investigation were released on bail after investigators said their involvement could not be established.
The command also explained that the delay in arraigning the eight defendants was not caused by police inactivity but by the annual court vacation.
According to the police, the courts resumed proceedings this week and the criminal case is now expected to proceed.
Despite the prosecution, Amarachi has yet to be recovered, and the command said the investigation remains active.
“While the suspects await arraignment, the Police investigation remains active, with sustained efforts directed towards the safe recovery of Amarachi Blessing Ogbonna and her eventual reunion with her family,” the statement said.
“The Command is pursuing all credible leads and will continue to take every lawful step necessary to unravel the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.”
Police also cautioned members of the public against relying on unverified accounts circulating on social media, particularly in sensitive cases involving children.
The command said inaccurate information could create unnecessary public anxiety and interfere with public understanding of an ongoing investigation.
The eight defendants are yet to be arraigned, and the allegations against them remain subject to determination by the court.
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