Ward Al-Rababa’a (Missing Child)
Disappeared while getting hummus from a local seller. The family was contacted about a ransom one year later and heard a voice that might have been the child.
Full Name: Ward Abdel-Majid Mahmoud Hussein Hassan Al-Rababaa
Nickname: Ward Al-Rababa’a, اسم الشهره ورد الربابعه
Alternative Name: ورد عبد المجيد محمود حسين حسن الربابعه
La Apoda: Ward Al-Rababa’a, اسم الشهره ورد الربابعه
Nombres Alternativos: ورد عبد المجيد محمود حسين حسن الربابعه
The Disappearance (La Desaparición)
Date: April 26, 2009 (Tuesday)
Location: Judayta (جديتا), Irbid, Jordan
Situation: Missing
Fecha: 26 de abril de 2009 (martes)
Falta en la fecha: Judayta (جديتا), Irbid, Jordania
Situación: Desaparecido
Circumstances (Circunstancias)
Ward left his home that day to visit a nearby shopkeeper and buy bread and hummus. He was expected to arrive home directly afterward, but did not return.
In April 2010, one year after Ward’s disappearance, his family began receiving phone calls from an unknown male speaking in an Egyptian dialect. The man demanded a ransom for the return of Ward over several calls that appeared to be coming from Turkey.
The second time the man phoned, Ward’s father demanded to speak to the child to confirm that this was not a scam. The man spoke saying “وقال الوالد” (‘talk to your son’) and a voice on the phone said “يا ابوي” (‘My Father’). The voice sounded like Ward and the term he used is how Ward had always addressed his father.
Ward’s father said that he fainted upon hearing the child but when he recovered, the suspect demanded $1,000 be transferred to Turkey via Western Union as a sign of good faith. It was to be deposited into an account under the name “Ahmed Sayed Muhammad” (احمد سيد محمد). Ward’s father offered to fly to Turkey and give the man $10,000 in exchange for Ward’s safe return, but the man refused the offer. The police were notified, but we were not able to learn how that situation was resolved. The child is still listed as missing.
In 2016, Ward’s case was featured on a television show regarding Missing Persons. An unidentified male, believed to be speaking with an Egyptian dialect, called into the show and said that he had once helped to kidnap a child from Jordan in a ransom scheme. Although he said he regretted the incident, he did not stay on the line and Ward’s family were not able to trace the call.
A couple of years later, in 2018, Ward’s father announced he may have seen a photo of Ward posted to an Egyptian social media site where missing persons can post their details in search of relatives. Ward would have been 16 at the time. There was also another family who thought it might be their son as of October 2019. There is no new information about the image and whether it was ultimately proven not to be Ward.
They continue to search for the child without ceasing and have issued several calls to the public to offer any information that is available. Given the nature of the situation, there is any possibility that the child was moved to Egypt, Turkey, or in fact anywhere in the Middle East or Europe relatively quickly given the fluid nature of their borders.
Demographics (Descripción)
Date of Birth: September 13, 2003
Age at Disappearance: 5
Ethnicity: Middle Eastern
Nationality: Jordan
Gender at Birth: Male
Hair: Brunette
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 3'3"(100cm)
Weight: 22lbs(10kg)
Language: Arabic
Fecha de Nacimiento: 13 de septiembre de 2003
Años: 5
Etnicidad: Medio Oriente
Nacionalidad: Jordania
Sexo al nacer: Masculino
Cabello: Moreno
Color de los ojos: Cafés
Altura: 100cm
Peso: 10kg
Idiomas: Árabe
Distinguishing Features (Características Distintivas)
- Birthmark on his left flank (side of the upper abdomen)
- Marca de nacimiento en el flanco izquierdo (lado de la parte superior del abdomen)
Suspects (Sospechoso)
- Possibly a man, Middle-Eastern, speaking with an Egyptian dialect
- Hombre, Medio Oriente, hablando con un dialecto egipcio
Clothing (Ropa)
- Unknown (Desconocido)
Vehicle (Vehículo)
- Unknown (Desconocido)
If You or Anyone You Know Has Information About The Disappearances, Please Contact:
Jordanian Public Security Directorate
Your Nearest Jordanian Embassy
Your National Police
Or use the QR Code (above) to find contact information for the National Police.
Resources:
- Aladdin Al-Taweel (2019) ‘الطفل ورد الربابعة .. أغرب قضية اختفاء في الأردن تعود للواجهة مجددًا’, Roya news. TV, October 14, Link.
- Al Mamlaka TV (2019) ‘والد ورد: سلّمت وزارة الخارجية معلومات كاملة عن طفلي المفقود’, October 14, Link
Podcasts:
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