Actress Cynthia Okere right from early hour on Friday had been rumoured to have been missing. Reports from sources also claimed this may be a kidnapped case as family raised alarmed that Cynthia Okereke had not reached home after she purportedly left a film shooting location she was featured in on July 26..

But an updated report for Enugu state Police command shown that Cynthia Okereke’s car had been found at Four-corner on Enugu-Port Harcourt road. In a statement by Enugu state Police Public Relations Officer-Deputy Superintendent of Police Ndukwe on Saturday had confirmed that Ms Cynthia is truly missing but he was not explicit if this is a kidnaped case.

DSP Ndukwe said, “The current report at our disposal dwells on a case of an abandoned and recovered vehicle, as well as a missing person.”  Ndukwe furthered said “That the vehicle was abandoned and recovered at Four-Corners on Enugu-Port-Harcourt Expressway, precisely within Ozalla community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State axis of the road.

Meanwhile Mr Ndukwe acknowledged “On July 29, at about 7:30 a.m., we received information that a red-colored Toyota RAV4 Jeep with registration number AGL 199 CY was noticed to have been parked in an abandoned way at Four-Corners on Enugu-Port-Harcourt Expressway. Hence, the location was visited and the vehicle recovered”.

Ndukwe also affirmed “Coincidentally, at about 11:30 a.m., of the same date, a report was further received stating that the vehicle belongs to one Cynthia Okereke (f), a Nollywood Actress, who was last seen on July 26,” he said.

To the police spokesman, even though rumour in the public space was that two people were missing, only one, who is Cynthia Okerere can be conformed by the Police as the time he was sending the report to the media on Saturday

Prior to DSP Ndukwe’s release, Monalisa Chinda, who is presently the Director of Actors Guide of Nihgeria(AGN) had broken the news in a statement that two actors were missing

 Chinda, in the announcement, stated that the two actors were reported missing after their family members confirmed they didn’t come back from a film location at Ozalla Town, Enugu state. To Chinda, the missing “actors were suspected to have been allegedly kidnapped”.

Based on this development, which is gradually becoming incessant Emeka Ejezie, the National President of AGN had warned every actor in Nigeria to “Avoid going to cities’ outskirt to film except they are assured of full security”. But beyond this warning to other members of AGN, Emeka Rollas had appealed to members of the public to pray for Cynthia Okereke’s safe return to her family.

Recalled, this is not the first time a member of Actors Guide of Nigeria will be allegedly kidnapped or missing. There are previous examples of such incidence that are rampant. For instance, in June 2021, a Nollywood actor, Pressing Forward, was reportedly kidnapped in Imo State. After a long search, he came back home.

In 2009 also, there was a report that veteran actor, Pete Edochie, was kidnapped and released after allegedly paying a ransom. The same fate befell Nkem Owoh who was also alleged to have parted away with some money before he could gain his freedom.

Can Nigeria really survive this spate of alleged kidnapping? Time will tell.