An Algerian man who went missing at age 19 was found alive on May 12, 2024. Omar bin Omran disappeared in 1998. He is now 45 years old and was found in a neighbor's cellar 26 years after he went missing. The location where he was found was not far from his family's home — about 650 feet away, reported Al Jazeera.
Since he went missing during the Algerian civil war and was missing for so many years, some relatives believed that he was no longer alive, as per the New York Post. His mom, who died in 2013, reportedly held onto hope that her son would be found safe, according to the outlet.
The suspected captor, a 61-year-old man, was arrested. He reportedly tried to flee the scene, reported BBC. The country’s Ministry of Justice called the act "heinous" and the investigation is ongoing.
Omar bin Omran is reportedly now receiving medical treatment — both physical and psychological, the BBC reported. According to the outlet, bin Omran said that he sometimes saw some of his family members over the past 26 years, but he couldn't do anything about it. He said the suspected captor cast a "spell" on him that made seeking help impossible.
More from LittleThings: Kelly Clarkson On Her Weight Loss: 'Everybody Thinks It's Ozempic, But It's Not'
The kidnapping reportedly came to light recently because of an alleged inheritance dispute between the suspect and his brother. His brother shared some incriminating information on social media, the New York Post reported. The National Gendarmerie, which provides police services in Algeria's rural areas, then investigated and searched the house that bin Omran was found in.
