Two-year-old Excel Forte, the daughter of a visually impaired woman, Agnes and a 13-year-old step-sister, Joy, who went missing on November 28, 2023, has been found at an orphanage in Bariga, Lagos.
Excel disappeared witwith her 13-year-old step-sister, Joy, while playing outside their apartment in Akowonjo.
Despite desperate searches by Agnes and her family, they were unsuccessful in locating the children until Agnes’s mother-in-law received a call from the orphanage, informing them that the children were in their custody.
After noticing the girls ‘ absence, Agnes had raised the alarm, saying that she could no longer hear their voices after a while and had tried in vain to find them.
She said, “We have kept searching for them since they left home, but all our efforts were not successful until my mother-in-law received a call.”
Excel and Joy were found wandering at Ago Palace Way the day after they left home, where they were rescued by a policewoman.
They were taken to the Alakara Police Station and later transferred to an orphanage. However, Joy initially refused to disclose her identity, delaying their reunification with the family.
John, the children’s father, explained that it took him weeks to secure their release from the orphanage due to legal requirements.
“When I went to the orphanage and saw them, they informed me that Joy did not disclose anything about her background until about three months ago when she finally revealed her details,” he said.
John also mentioned that Joy has yet to explain her actions. “I’ve asked her repeatedly why she left home, but she hasn’t disclosed any reasons. We initially thought she was communicating with a stranger, but she claims she was talking to her grandmother,” he added.
The family expressed relief at the children’s safe return, though the mystery surrounding Joy’s decision to withhold information remains unsolved.
