Kemba Marshall, who has been missing since March, and father Ashiel Marshall

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Kenicia Francis

Kenicia.Francis@antiguaobserver.com

Dozens of local residents, soldiers and police joined a search for a missing Bolans child in the Five Islands area on Saturday.

The Concerned Citizens of Antigua and Barbuda (CCAB) group led the search for 13-year-old Kemba Marshall who has been missing for more than four months.

Kemba was last seen by his father – with whom he was living – on March 1.

CCAB President Dr Jacqui Quinn says credible information was received during the search indicating the boy is still alive.

“Though we did not find Kemba, we had some very encouraging and positive leads. There seemed to be quite a prevailing view that Kemba is alive and well.

“In fact, when we ended the search yesterday, his maternal grandmother called me and said that there was a sighting of Kemba in the Swetes area, riding a donkey, wearing blue shorts and a white shirt.

“Several other persons in the community of Five Islands said that they had seen him, they’d seen Kemba at some point or other over this time period between February and July,” Dr Quinn said.

The boy’s father Ashiel Marshall previously told Observer that he last saw his son on the morning he headed out to make funeral arrangements for a recently deceased relative. He said he returned home to be told Kemba had left the house to go to see his mother in Five Islands, something he believes was a lie.

Marshall said he tried unsuccessfully for three weeks to get in contact with the child’s mother Natasha Nedd. He eventually went to the police.

Marshall told Observer last week he was extremely worried about the boy but added he believed he was alive and hanging out with friends.

Education officials have also raised concerns about Kemba’s safety as he has not been seen at Five Islands Primary School, at which he was a student, for months.

Quinn appealed to Kemba to return home.

“We remain upbeat, we remain prayerful and hopeful that we will indeed find Kemba and that Kemba will turn himself in sometime over the next few days,” she added.

Approximately 30 residents, 20 soldiers, and 15 police officers participated in Saturday’s search, which started around 6.15am.

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