Detective Sergeant Reuben Noah Agbodzo of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has urged parents and guardians to teach children how to identify landmarks and remember key personal information, describing it as an important step in preventing prolonged missing person cases.
Speaking at the Tobinco Media Group (TMG) Missing Persons Forum 2026 under the Samuel Amo Tobbin Foundation on Tuesday June 16, 2026, the CID officer said children who can identify familiar places and provide basic details about themselves are easier to locate and reunite with their families when they get lost.
According to him, children should be encouraged to take notice of landmarks in their communities, know the names of their parents and schools, and be able to provide information that can assist authorities during emergencies.
He explained that investigators often encounter situations where children are unable to identify themselves or provide details about where they live, making it difficult to trace their families.
Detective Sgt. Agbodzo noted that in some cases, children who cannot remember their parents’ names or even their own names are placed in the care of social workers while efforts are made to identify and locate their relatives.
He added that security agencies have systems in place to quickly disseminate information about missing persons to the public but stressed that educating children on their surroundings and personal identity can significantly improve recovery efforts.
The CID officer called on parents, schools and communities to work together to ensure children are equipped with basic safety knowledge that could help protect them and support efforts to reunite them with their families if they ever go missing.
The Missing Persons Forum 2026 brought together law enforcement officers, child welfare advocates and other stakeholders to discuss measures aimed at reducing missing person cases and improving child protection in Ghana.
SOURCE: MAVIS FANTEVI
