A man who went missing 26 years ago has been found shockingly close to his childhood home.
Algeria’s Ministry of Justice revealed that Omar bin Omran had been located Tuesday, according to Al Jazeera.
Omran went missing in 1998 amid Algeria’s civil war between Islamist factions and the country’s government.
In a twist, the missing man — now 45 years old — was found in a hidden sheepfold by haystacks only 200 meters away from his childhood residence.
Omran had been 17 years old when he originally went missing.
A neighbor recovered the missing man in the city of Djelfa.
A grainy cell phone video reportedly shows Omran in the chamber in which he was hidden.
NEW: Man who disappeared 27 years ago at the age of 17, found alive 200 meters from his family’s home in a neighbor’s cellar.
Insane.
Omar Bin Omran of Algeria disappeared 27 years ago. He went missing in 1998 on his way to a vocational school.
A 61-year-old is in police… pic.twitter.com/idkvSCykmh
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 15, 2024
Should kidnappers face harsher punishment?
The victim purportedly feared crying out for help during his nearly 30-year captivity out of fear that his captor had placed a “spell” on him.
The provincial prosecutor’s office has ordered that Omran receive medical and psychological assistance after his rescue, according to The Mirror.
A 61-year old suspect identified as a doorman was arrested in connection to Omran’s kidnapping, according to Al Jazeera.
The suspect hasn’t been publicly identified.
The suspect’s brother reportedly posted accusatory information about him amid a dispute over a family inheritance, leading to law enforcement investigation.
The alleged captor was arrested at his residence, having reportedly attempted to flee the scene after law enforcement recovered Omran.
Today In Algeria, a man missing since 1996 was found captive in his neighbor’s celler
full story: Man who disappeared 28 years ago at the age of 16, found alive 200 meters from his family’s home in a neighbor’s cellar.
Omar Bin Omran of Algeria disappeared 28 years ago. He went… pic.twitter.com/nSJ18sWmXQ
— I Post Forbidden Videos 🔞 (@WorldDarkWeb) May 16, 2024
An additional seven defendants are facing criminal charges in connection with Omran’s disappearance and captivity, according to The National News.
Omran’s mother died in 2013 — with his family long having believed that the missing youth perished during Algeria’s civil war.
Algerian law enforcement is pledging that the “perpetrator of this heinous crime” will be punished with “severity,” according to the Mirror.
