The guardians of a nine-year-old girl identified simply as Patience, who went missing about eight days ago at Rotras Crescent in the Merian area of Lagos State, are seeking help to locate the whereabouts of the minor.

It was gathered that the young girl had left the house on March 31, 2024, to return a food warmer to a neighbour who lives just a few meters from the guardians’ house.

One of the guardians, identified simply as Pastor Olabiyi, who spoke with our correspondent on Monday via a telephone interview, said they had searched the entire community with the help of other neighbours to find the minor, but to no avail.

He noted that despite reporting the matter to the police about eight days after the girl went missing, Patience had yet to be found.

Olabiyi said, “She went missing on March 31, 2024. She left home saying she wanted to return a warmer flask to a pastor couple whose house is only opposite ours.

“They sent us the food warmer on Sunday for a birthday that was celebrated on Sunday after service. But we learnt that she told the people around her that she wanted to return the food warmer. But when she didn’t return after 30 minutes, the people started agitating about her whereabouts.

“Although she’s not our biological child, we took her as one. She was going to school, and from there to my wife’s shop. The pastor couple returned later in the day, and my wife asked them whether they had seen Patience. But they said they had not been around immediately after Sunday service. We went to the police station together to make a report.”

Meanwhile, Olabiyi’s wife, Pastor Esther, who described Patience as a gentle, smart, and intelligent girl, sought public support to locate her whereabouts, saying she had travelled as far as the village to look for the missing girl, but all her efforts had hit the rock.

She said, “On March 31, 2024, we had gone to church, but she didn’t go with me because I went to minister in Ayobo/Ipaja. She went to church with my husband. Some food was brought to us by one of our neighbours. Later on, I called my son and asked why they didn’t return the food warmer, and he said he had forgotten.

“At this time, our cleaners were cleaning the house, so we had to retire to the room. I woke up around 5.15pm. and asked the cleaners where she was. They said she told them she wanted to return the warmer to the owner. This was the last I heard of her. So, I said she didn’t know the woman’s house; how could she have returned the warmer?

“We have been looking for her since then. But when it became so serious, we had to go and report to the Merian division of the police. We have been coming and going since then. On Friday, I had to travel to her village. They said they had not seen her.”

When contacted on Monday, one of the senior police officers at the Merian Divisional Police Headquarters, who preferred not to be mentioned, said they had sent all the missing girl’s details to the control room and begun an investigation into the matter.

The cop simply said, “They have sent all her details to the controller on the radio. We are working on it.”