Emaan Fatima, the nine-year-old girl who was allegedly abducted while walking home from Dreamland Primary School in Buffalo Flats, East London, has been safely returned to her family after her parents paid a ransom. Emaan was seized by unknown men in a Toyota Corolla on February 4, as she made her way home from school.
A video featuring the visibly frightened girl surfaced on the internet, showing Emaan pleading for help. “Come and get me please, I don’t want to stay here anymore,” she said in the video, which quickly circulated and reached her devastated father. The video sparked a wave of concern, and a local awareness march was organized by the Pakistani and local communities in front of the school on Wednesday morning.
Zaheer Iqbal, the general secretary of the Pakistan South Africa Association in East London, confirmed that Emaan was safely returned to her family after her parents paid a ransom. “Thanks so much to all communities, Emaan Fatima has returned home safely on Wednesday morning. We appreciate your efforts, you stood up in unity for the return of the young girl. Thank God!” Iqbal said, expressing gratitude for the community’s support.
However, this wasn’t the first kidnapping of a child in the area. Iqbal pointed out that another child had been abducted in Dimbaza the previous month. That child was also released after a ransom of R200,000 was paid, despite the initial demand being R1 million. The child managed to lead the police to the location where he was held, but no arrests were made.
A family friend of Emaan, who lives across the street from the young girl’s home, revealed that Emaan was grabbed while walking with her brother. Her father, who runs a grocery shop and owns the school, was left deeply devastated by the abduction. The motive behind the kidnapping remains unclear, and the community continues to seek answers regarding the reasons behind the abductions.
Emaan’s safe return is a relief to her family and the community, but the unsettling trend of child abductions in the area has left many on edge, wondering what steps can be taken to prevent further incidents. Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping and hope to bring those responsible to justice.
