Heartbreaking reason why man held captive by neighbours for 27 years didn't call for help

The man who was held captive by his neighbour for 27 years didn't call for help because of a heartbreaking reason.

Omar Bin Omran was just 17-years-old when he vanished from his family home in Djelfa, Algeria, in 1997.

His family thought he was killed during the Algerian Civil War (1992-2002), however, the truth was much closer to home.

Earlier this week on 12 May, he was found in his neighbour's house less than 200 metres away from his family's house.

Now aged 45, Omran was rescued from the home of a 61-year-old, who is now in police custody.

The victim was found in a 'sheep pen' surrounded by hay, located in the cellar of the man's property, as shown in videos shared on social media.

The alleged perpetrator worked as a doorman in El Guedid and lived alone.

Public prosecutors in Djelfa said in a statement: "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, B.A., aged 61."

Amid an unsuccessful search for Omran in 1998 after he went missing while on his way to a vocational school, the alleged kidnapping took place due to an inheritance dispute, according to comments made by his brother on social media.

Omar Bin Omran had been missing for 27 years before he was found in a neighbour's house. (X)

In all these years, the reason why Omran never called for help was because he was said to have been convinced that his captor had cast a magic spell on him, according to local reports.

And according to reports by Algerian newspaper El Khabar, Omran's dog pined for him close to the spot where he was being held captive.

It has been alleged in this report that the captor poisoned the dog to keep the family away from Omran's whereabouts.

Omran will now receive medical and psychological care as a result.

A court official in Djelfa said: "Two days ago, on 12 May 2024, the Public Prosecutor's Office received, through the regional department of the National Gendarmerie in El Jadid, a complaint against an anonymous person claiming that the complainant's brother, Omar bin Omran, who has been missing for about 30 years, is in the house of one of his neighbours, inside a sheepfold.

Videos on social media show the moment he was found 200 metres away from the family home. (X)

"Following this report the General Prosecutor of the Court of Idrisiya in the province of Djelfa ordered the National Gendarmerie to open an in-depth investigation and officers went to the house in question.

"The missing person was found and the suspect, the 61-year-old owner of the house was arrested."

Omran's mother sadly died in 2013 without knowing the truth of what happened to her son.

Local media report that he was told of his mother's death whilst in captivity.

Officials say that the 'perpetrator of this heinous crime', who worked as a civil servant, will be tried with 'severity.'