It was the 1990s, and a civil war was raging in Algeria. Astonishingly, 26 years after this incident, Omar bin Omran was found alive in the basement of a neighbor’s house just a few meters from his home in the town of El Goudid.He is now 45 years old and was found alive just 200 meters from where he grew up.
Local authorities have reported that a 61-year-old man has been detained on suspicion of kidnapping Omar bin Omran.In 1998, when Omar bin Omran went missing, a civil war had been ongoing for several years between the Algerian government and militant groups.Following Omar’s sudden disappearance, his family feared that he might have been one of those killed or disappeared in the war.
However, on May 12, 26 years after his disappearance, local authorities reported finding him alive under a pile of straw. According to the prosecution, authorities received an anonymous tip that Omar was in his neighbor’s house.A judicial official stated that following this tip, the Attorney General ordered an investigation, and officers went to the house.
According to the statement, on May 12 at 8 PM, 45-year-old Omar bin Omran was found alive in the basement of his neighbor’s house. Authorities said the suspect tried to escape but was caught and detained. According to a statement by Omar’s brother on social media, the alleged kidnapping was due to an inheritance dispute.However, authorities say the investigation is ongoing and Omar is being provided with medical and psychological assistance.
A spokesperson for the Algerian Prosecutor’s Office described this crime as “cruel.”Omar told authorities that during his captivity, he had seen his family multiple times but couldn’t call out for help because his captor had convinced him that he was under a spell.According to local news, Omar’s mother passed away in 2013 without knowing that her son was still alive.
