Adeola, the daughter of veteran Nollywood actress Jumoke George, has returned to Nigeria from Mali after being missing for four years.
The development was announced on Monday by the Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa. According to her, Adeola had been trafficked to Mali and was recently rescued and repatriated.
“Breaking! Adeola, daughter of popular actress Jumoke George, who cried out that she had not heard from her daughter in four years, is back home from Mali, where she was trafficked,” Dabiri-Erewa wrote in a statement.
The emotional ordeal came to public attention after Jumoke George shared her story during an appearance on the TalkToB show, hosted by fellow actress Abiola Adebayo.
Fighting back tears, she revealed how the pain of her missing child and ongoing health struggles forced her to live in a church for six years.
“There are some things that are embarrassing to say, but at this point, I have no choice.
I want to speak out,” she said. “My first child, Adeola, has been missing. I’ve been looking for her for the past four years.
Any small amount I got from work was spent searching for her.”
Jumoke recounted that her mother, with whom Adeola was living in Ibadan, had called one day to say the young woman had left for Lagos but never arrived.
Months later, Adeola reportedly reached out, asking for forgiveness and revealing that she had traveled with friends in search of better opportunities but ended up in a difficult situation abroad.
Dabiri-Erewa praised actress Abiola Adebayo for drawing attention to the matter and acknowledged actor Niyi Johnson for his involvement in the rescue efforts.
“Just received her, with Biola Adebayo, who broke the story, and Niyi Johnson. Details later!” she added.