An Algerian man who went missing 26 years ago in his late teens has been discovered alive in his neighbour’s basement, just 10 metres from his home.
The man, identified as Omar bin Omran, disappeared from Djelfa, in Algeria, during the Algerian civil war in the 1990s, reports BBC.
His family believed he’d been killed or kidnapped during the decade-long conflict between Algeria’s government and Islamist groups, which ended in 2002.
Omran was found on May 12, hidden under haystacks in a sheep pen, after police acted on a tip from an anonymous person.
Omran, 45, reportedly told police he had at times seen his family from where he was being held captive but was unable to call out for help “because of a spell that his captor had cast on him,” local media reported.
A CBS News report said Omran was found “sitting quietly” underneath the haystack.
A 61-year-old man, who reportedly attempted to flee as investigators moved in, has since been arrested and is in custody as police continue the investigation.
Omran, meanwhile, is receiving medical and psychological care.
The alleged abductor, who has not been named, has also been accused of killing Omran’s dog. Photos of Omran with his dog were shared the year he went missing.
https://nationalpost.com/news/algerian-man-missing-for-26-years-found-alive-in-neighbours-basement
