Three months after, anxieties mount over missing OAU don

Prof. James Olomo

The Olomo family has been hoping to see a member of the family, Prof. James Olomo,  walk back home since he left on October 17, 2013 for Eket, Akwa Ibom State where he had gone to have a discussion with  an oil company.

However, family, friends and kinsmen have begun to be more apprehensive each passing day hearing nothing from him for almost three months now.  There is no news concerning his kidnap or death and his whereabouts has remained unknown since October 20, 2013 when he was last seen in his hotel room.

The professor of Nuclear Physics at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife had embarked on the trip during the protracted strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities to keep himself busy and to make some money to keep body and soul together.

Olomo, who lodged in a hotel on getting to Eket was said to have spoken on the telephone with some persons but he reportedly left the hotel room on October 19, leaving behind his belongings but has not been found since then.

In late 2013, the  Olomo family of Risawe Anlerin Compound in Otan Ayegbaju,  issued a statement to alert the public about the disappearance of the university don. The statement entitled, ‘Please Save Professor James Bolarinwa Olomo’ was signed by six family members, including a traditional Chief, Risawe of Otan Ayegbaju,  Chief A. O. Olomo. The family said that the varsity don had remained incommunicado and his suspected abductors refused to pick his calls.

The don was once kidnapped on July 16, 2003 but was released after spending 31 days with his abductors but the family members and kinsmen are worried this time around because Olomo has been away for almost 90 days, without any information about him.

The statement reads in part, “James Bolarinwa Olomo, a professor of Physics at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife undertakes safety advice for oil companies. He was in Eket for one of such engagements as Radiation Safety Adviser when this unfortunate incident happened. He (Prof. Olomo) flew into Calabar, from Lagos by Arik Air, on that Thursday and approached Eket by road. He was in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, where he lodged into a hotel called Hotel Farlem.

“The family, in conjunction with his employers, OAU has made efforts to establish contact with him since October 20, 2013 without success. The matter has been reported at the Eket Divisional Police headquarters and all security agencies in the area have instituted an investigation into the incident, but the family is disturbed that, though authorities are working on the possibility of a kidnap, nobody has contacted the family, neither has any news been heard about him.

“Staff of Hotel Farlem told Police in Eket that Prof. Olomo told them in the morning of Sunday, October 20, 2013 that he was going out briefly to return later, but never came back to the hotel, nor were they able to reach him on telephone. By the time the family representatives came down on Saturday, October 26, 2013 to report to the police station in Eket, the police team led by the Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Sunny Digha, met his belongings at the hotel.”

Many had hoped that Olomo would be found before the end of 2013 but this never happened. This probably made the OAU branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities led by Prof. Akinola Adegbola, to address journalists in Lagos to mount pressure on security agencies to intensify efforts to find one of their members. The ASUU chairman expressed displeasure that the Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, had kept mum on the professor since he was declared missing.

The ASUU chairman said, “We want clarification on the circumstances that surround his disappearance. The police and the SSS should rise up to their duty and provide official information within 14 days. If they cannot explain his disappearance,  it further shows that all of us are no longer safe.”

A Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, also joined in the call for a concerted effort by the government and its agencies to find the missing don.  Aturu also called on the police and the Department of State Security to prove their competence by finding  Olomo.

The disappearance of the lecturer is worrisome not only  to his colleagues at the OAU but also to students alike especially those in his department. A 400 level Law student at the OAU, Banke Ilori, who is a niece of the missing professor told our correspondent that so many people were anxiously waiting for his safe return.

Ilori said, “I am particularly worried because he is my uncle. Prof. Olomo is a father to many. He is so nice, jovial and you can’t have a dull moment with him around. I am appealing to the police and other concerned agencies to assist in locating him. We are praying for him to return and join us.”

The Coordinator of the NANS in the South West, Mr. Sunday Ashefon, expressed dissatisfaction with the way security agencies had treated the case so far. Speaking in a statement made available to our correspondent, the student leader urged the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio,  the police and other security agencies in the state  to ensure that Olomo was found alive and brought back to his family.

The NANS coordinator said that Akpabio and security agencies in the state had done nothing serious to locate the professor despite that they were duly informed when the incident happened.

Ashefon said, “We are using  this medium to remind our slumbering authorities at all levels who are saddled with the primary responsibilityof protecting the lives and property of the citizens  to wake up from their deep slumber and begin to take actions necessary to safeguard the lives and property of the people.

“Equally, we wish to call on the Nigeria Police Force and all other security agencies to intensify efforts at ensuring unconditional release of Prof. Olomo from wherever he may be.”

The disappearance of  Olomo, who is an indigene of Otan Ayegbaju in Bolowaduro Local Government Area of Osun State, is  not only traumatising to the family but also making the entire people of the town, including the monarch, apprehensive.

The monarch, Owa of Otan Ayegbaju, Oba Lukman Fadipe, told our correspondent that Olomo is one of the most promising sons of the town and the people of the town were worried about his disappearance.

The monarch said that he and the chiefs in collaboration with the people of the town had organised prayer sessions for the release of the professor from wherever he might be.

Apart from prayer sessions, the monarch said that he had contacted Governor Rauf Aregebsola of Osun State to assist in locating the lecturer. Oba Fadipe added that he wrote to his counterpart ( monarch) in Eket to assist in using his offices to find one of his subjects who got missing in his domain.

He said, “I am not happy about the disappearance of Prof. Olomo. The family is full of very responsible people and the professor is someone who loves the town and the people dearly. He is always ready to work for the town and assist the people.

“Immediately I learnt of his missing, I contacted Governor Rauf Aregbesola  and  reported  the incident to him, asking him to assist us. I also wrote to the traditional ruler in Eket about the incident. The Egbe Omo Yoruba in Eket has also been helpful. They picked up the letter and delivered the letter to the monarch.

“We have organised prayer sessions of all forms, including traditional prayers to help in locating the professor. I cannot disclose everything but we believe that he is not dead. We have not seen him but we believe we would soon see him.”

Also expressing in the apprehension, the National President, Otan Ayegbaju Progressive Union, Mr. Ademola Olayemi, in an interview with our correspondent said that the union was seriously concerned that Olomo had not been found for almost three months.

He said that apart from offering prayers to God for him to be found, prominent members of the union, especially Mr. Isaac Boladuro who is a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, had been making contact with the police and other security agencies in Akwa Ibom State and other states to intensify their efforts to locate Olomo.

Olayemi said, “ The disappearance of Prof. Olomo is a serious issue and this is giving us concern. His disappearance now is the second time. We do not know who is after him. The last time he was kidnapped,I believe that  people did not bother to thoroughly investigate who kidnapped him and the circumstances surrounding the incident because of the euphoria of his release.

“But he could not have travelled to Eket and just walked away from the hotel where he lodged.  There is always a reason before anybody is kidnapped but the family has not heard anything from the professor and no abductor has established any contact with the family for almost three months now. This incident is extremely difficult  to fathom.”

The OAPU president appealed to anybody with information  about his whereabouts or any clue which could assist security agencies to locate him to please come forward. He said that the identity of such would not be disclosed to ensure their safety.

Copyright PUNCH.