A man who went missing approximately 26 years ago has been found alive in his neighbour’s cellar. Omar bin Omran disappeared from Djelfa, Algeria, during the turbulent Algerian civil war of the 1990s, when he was in his late teens. Now 45, Mr. Bin Omran was located just 200 metres from his childhood home.
Authorities have confirmed the arrest of a 61-year-old man suspected of imprisoning him. “The Djelfa Attorney General’s Office informs the public that on May 12 at 8pm local time it found victim Omar B, aged 45, in the case of his neighbour, BA, aged 61,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Bin Omran’s disappearance occurred amid the backdrop of a decade-long conflict between Algeria’s government and some factions. During this period of unrest, his family feared he had become one of the estimated 200,000 individuals killed or among the up to 20,000 individuals abducted.
However, reports reveal that he was discovered concealed in a sheepfold beneath haystacks on May 12.
The public prosecutor’s office received an anonymous complaint asserting Mr. Bin Omran’s presence in a neighbour’s house, concealed within a sheepfold. Consequently, an extensive investigation was initiated, leading to the discovery of the victim in his neighbour’s cellar.
Upon apprehension, the suspect attempted to flee but was swiftly detained by authorities.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the national gendarmerie, and Mr. Bin Omran is currently undergoing medical and psychological treatment. A spokesman for the ministry denounced the crime as “heinous.”
According to local media reports, Mr. Bin Omran recounted seeing his family on occasion during his captivity but claimed he was unable to seek help due to a spell cast by his captor. His mother passed away in 2013, unaware of her son’s fate.
“His poor mom died while he was in captivity, without knowing what had happened to him, without knowing that all this time he was really right beside her,” a neighbour told Algerian broadcaster Bilad.
While Omran wasn’t able to tell his family members where he was, it’s thought his family’s dog may have had some idea of his whereabouts, as it had pined for him close to the home where he was being held. A local media outlet reported that the dog was later found poisoned and dumpted in front of Omran’s family house.