Flora Chichi IFEAGWU, born March 15, 1980, went missing on November 3, 2000
on her way to Lagos from Ibadan, both in Nigeria. Our firm belief is
that she is alive somewhere and we have faith that she will be found.
Please keep eyes and ears open for any info.
Read the story that was published in PUNCH, on June 20, 2005:
This girl has saved two men from kidnappers, but five years on, she remains trapped in kidnappers’ den.
A
visitor to Pastor Dan Ifeagwu at home and office will make no mistake
about his fondness for his only daughter, Flora. His countenance each
time he has a cause to discuss the girl betrays his emotions about her.
Just
as her large-sized photographs adorn the Ifeagwus’ residence, the
pastor’s office at the Federal College of Education, Akoka Lagos, is not
left out. There, two beautiful photographs of Flora stand on the
lecturer’s table, staring endlessly at him.
And each time he
beholds the photographs, he feels a deep sense of disappointment that
they could not offer any clue as to when his lovely daughter will return
home from the den of kidnappers where she has been trapped for five
years.
Flora, a 21-year-old second year student of Computer
Mathematics at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta at the time she
was last sighted, had the overall best result when she graduated from
Federal College Education, Akoka, where she studied computer. She was
said to have been kidnapped on November 3, 2000 on her way to Lagos
after a Deeper Life Campus Fellowship camp meeting in Ibadan. Since
then, the entire Ifeagwu family has been thrown into sadness.
Despite
the fact that the search for her by family members and security agents
have failed to yield any positive result, her emotionally tortured father
remains persuaded that she will, one day, come back home.
His
belief is not hinged only on the various revelations by renowned
religious leaders or the repeated sighting of Flora in his dreams, but
also on his conviction that ritual killers cannot triumph over a
“genius, good Christian and kind-hearted person” as Flora.
He
said, “In her entire life, she has always been kind and helpful. Our
belief is that people like that are never used for sacrifice. Ritual
killers have always thrown out people like that. We believe she will
come back home one day, but our Flora has not returned.”
It is,
however, ironic that there was nobody at the scene of her abduction to
rescue her or give a clue to how the girl, who was said to have saved
two men from kidnappers, could be freed from the claws of the evil men
since 2000.
Ifeagwu told the moving story of how a lecturer from
Delta State University, Abraka came to his residence in 2000 to thank
Flora for rescuing him when kidnappers threw him out of a moving bus in
Lagos.
According to the troubled father, the lecturer, on
arrival, told him and his guests that he had come to appreciate the
gesture from Flora, who took him to the hospital and took care of him at
a point that kidnappers had virtually snuffed life out of him.
Ifeagwu
also recalled another time that Flora rescued another man that was
thrown out of a moving vehicle by kidnappers in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Ifeagwu,
who said the family could not but feel their eldest child’s absence,
explained that Flora’s mother, Elizabeth, had been the worse for it.
“She suffered high blood pressure over it. She almost died. For the
remaining three boys, they have all learnt to look up to God.
“There
is no day I do not remember her. I want her back. It is always the
thing in the family that a member is missing and wanted back. It is
almost five years now, how is she feeling, what is she looking like? At
the beginning, it was not easy to cope without her, but we have learnt
to forgive even the kidnappers. What we want is for them to return our
daughter. All I want back is my daughter,” he said.
Taking the
case to God’s court, he said the family, with a strong conviction that
Flora was still alive, had been praying and trusting God for her return.
According to him, two interdenominational fasting and prayer programmes
were being organised yearly on the girl’s birthday (March 15) and the
date of her kidnap (November 3) to facilitate her return.
However,
the hope of the family, which had been living on pure faith in the
revelations that Flora would come back alive, was boosted last year when
a man named Clement Anaekwe came to their residence and claimed that he
saw and interacted with Flora right in the kidnappers’ den in a forest.
Clement had told the family that Flora inspired him a lot in
the short time they interacted before the kidnappers moved him out of
the place to be killed. Accordingly, Clement, who previously did not
know anything about the missing Flora, said that the beautiful lady who
was kept in a hall meant for victims awaiting execution, told him her
story and gave him her parent’s address at Gbagada, Lagos.
Going
by her experience in the den over the years, she was said to have
assured the young man that the kidnappers would not be able to do
anything to him as long as he was a genuine Christian. True to it,
Clement had a miraculous escape from the place. But since he was not
prepared for the escape, he could not take any message for her family.
Clement also claimed he could not locate the forest.
Reacting to
Clement’s account, Ifeagwu said, “Our faith has been boosted. We now
have tangible evidence that she will come back. We are fasting for her.
We believe that God has a purpose in all these. God knows what He is
doing, we are instruments in his hands.”
But the police at Force
Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Alagbon, Lagos said
investigation was being conducted into the matter.
FCID
Spokesman Mr Friday Archibong said the case had been difficult as there
was no information that could give any clue about Flora.
He,
however, called on anybody who has information about her and other
victims to forward such to he police or the press, just as he urged
Anaekwe who claimed he saw her at a kidnappers’ den to come forward with
his story, which he said, could offer a clue.
Just as the
Heavens Gate Ministries which Ifeagwu oversees holds praise worship
sessions every Wednesday to facilitate the lady’s return, the Christian
Women Intercessory Fellowship of Nigeria, while declaring a 10-day
retreat tagged “You Push until Flora Ifeagwu Returns”, kicking off from
June 22, said it was necessary to praise God for such an uncommon
miracle.
You can read more about her HERE
Heaven’s Gate Christian Ministry present ‘ 3hrs Marathon Prayer & Praise’. Theme: OH LORD, REMEMBER FLORA!
Date: Nov 2nd (Saturday) 3hrs Power Packed Prayer & Praise. Time: 3pm
Nov 3rd (Sunday) Holy Communion and Miracle Service. Time: 8am
Venue:
Heaven’s Gate Christian Ministry, Top Floor Kings Kiddies Hall, 2
Ijagbemi str. Popoola Bus Stop, Pedro Road, Palmgrove, Lagos, Nigeria
Guest Singers: Higher Ground Apostolic Choir, Unique Voices, P.I.C.C. Choir, Christ Redemption Choir, J.U.S.T, etc
Contact: 08024627589, 07061125628, 08153634141. Facebook: www.facebook.com/heaven’s gate christian ministry.