Twins left alone for four months; say uncle abandoned them while their parents travelled to Nigeria
In this “Home Alone” story, parents cite passport issues and unexpected illness as the reason 9 year old twins were left alone to care for themselves. The twins tell police their uncle Giobari Atura, who told their parents he would move in, abandoned them for four months. The father of the twins, Jerusalem Monday, says he entrusted his twenty-five year old brother Giobbari, to take care of his sons while he and his wife traveled to Nigeria, Africa with their other three children.
The uncle of the set of twins left home alone, was arrested and released on a five hundred dollar bail, after abandoning his nephews. The twins had been fending for themselves for months before school officials found out they were living alone, and they contacted the Division of Children and Family services after their discovery. When the Manchester police entered the home they stated that there was no visible food present at the home with the exception of a pack of Ramen Noodles, and the children were placed in foster care. According to the affidavit, one of the boys told police he felt lonely while staying at their own house because his mom and dad were not there and nobody was with them.
Monday says his brother, Atura assured him the twins were being taken care of. Monday told the Associated Press that in constant conversations with his brother, Atura claimed all was well with the twins. Monday and his wife, who live in a beautiful apartment complex in Manchester, New Hampshire, say the uncle had agreed to stay with the twins at their apartment home. They also instructed Atura to contact a family friend if he was ever unable to care for the children and he did not.
It is unclear under what circumstances caused the travel but the expected month turned to four months. Atura claims he checked on the twins from time to time, telling police he came to the apartment three times a week and dropped off food. The twins told police they had not seen their uncle in four months. They told a social worker that they would wake up for school by themselves, get ready, get on the bus, and eat breakfast and lunch at school. It was also discovered that there was no operating phone at the home. The twins were initially taken into protective custody. Assistant Hillsborough County Attorney Michael Valentine said, the parents returned home immediately after they discovered the children were alone. The parents cited passport issues and an unexpected illnesses prevented them from returning after a month. Top Immigration Attorney, Margret O’Hare says,
It is unclear what the issue was, but if the parents were Nigerian citizens perhaps they needed to travel in order to get their passports renewed before re-entry. People often use the term passports when they really mean visa issues so it’s impossible to tell what really happened.
Immigration attorneys say depending on what visa individuals are on, sometimes it takes a long time to process the necessary paperwork to return to the United States. Valentine says, the parents will not be charged with any crime because they had left the twins in the care of a relative. Giobari Atura’s is charged with child endangerment a misdemeanor. The twins are now safely back at home with their parents, and have proved perhaps 9 year olds are more responsible than most may think.
-Abesi Manyando
