Six-year-old Mohammed Mohammed, one of the 13 children rescued from traffickers in Anambra State last month, has survived a delicate surgery after suffering a severe medical condition caused by the trauma of his ordeal.

Doctors at the Specialist Hospital, Yola, revealed that Mohammed developed pyomyositis, a bacterial infection that causes pus buildup in the muscles, following the brutal beatings he endured from his abductors. The condition left him with painful abscesses in both thighs.

On Monday, the hospital announced that the boy had successfully undergone surgery to remove the infection. During the procedure, doctors drained nearly two litres of fluid from his thighs.

Deputy Governor Professor Kaletapwa Farauta, who visited the young survivor at the hospital, said the state government had to sponsor the emergency surgeries to save his life.

“We are here on a follow-up of the young boy who was rescued after being stolen from his parents and sold in Anambra State. During medical screening, it was discovered that he needed urgent care, and we are glad to see him responding well to treatment,” she said.

The hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Dauda Wadinga, confirmed that Mohammed is now stable and recovering steadily.

This update comes weeks after Adamawa State authorities, with support from security agencies, carried out an extensive investigation that led to the rescue of 13 children aged between 5 and 9 years. The children were kidnapped from different parts of Adamawa and sold to a buyer in Nnewi, Anambra State.

The crackdown led to the arrest of two women: 45-year-old Mrs. Ngozi Abdulwahab, who allegedly sold the children from Yola, and 65-year-old Mrs. Uche Okoye of Nnewi, who bought them.

For now, young Mohammed’s survival offers a glimmer of hope in what has been a heartbreaking case, as the state government continues to care for all the rescued children while pursuing justice against their traffickers.