Families of missing persons have raised concerns over the fate of their missing loved ones as the Nigerian Police rarely conclude investigations into reported cases of missing persons.
Several cases of missing persons had been reported to respective police commands in January 2025 alone. On January 1st, a 23-year-old man, Abdulhamid Saba, was reportedly missing around Nalex Hotel in Gwagwalada, Abuja. Another 22-year-old man, Praise Oluwadarasimi Ige, was reportedly missing on January 14th around the Ketu Alapere area of Lagos State.
Saba
Family members of the missing persons who spoke to The Verge did not express confidence in the police’s capacity to help in the search for their missing loved ones.
A close relative of Saba who identified himself as Adamu, explained that his family’s experience with the Gwagwalada Police Command does not suggest they have the capacity to help. Adamu, however, refused to give details of the family’s encounter with the Police.
Meanwhile, investigations by The Verge revealed that reported cases of missing persons in past years were rarely concluded by the Police. While the bodies of some missing persons were eventually discovered after they had been killed by criminals, many other cases remain unresolved after many years.
For instance, Mr. Sheriff Okoh, a lawyer, went missing on a journey between Benin City in Edo State and Abuja in November 2019; no one knows Okoh’s whereabouts or welfare. Also, Mr. Sola Adegbayi, a furniture maker, has been missing since October 2018, without a trace.
Okoh
All efforts to trace the missing lawyer, Okoh, since his disappearance in 2019 have proved unsuccessful.
The chairman of the University of Abuja Law Class of 2004, Adesina Ajagunna, while speaking to The Verge about efforts to trace his whereabouts, said, “When I took over as chairman, there were concerns that we hadn’t done enough to search for our missing classmate. Due to this, we decided to set up a committee to intensify efforts for his search. I am sure the committee will soon submit its report.”
Similarly, Adegbayi who left his home around Gauraka junction, along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 is yet to return to his young family.
Adrgbayi’s wife, Evelyn, who spoke to The Verge explained that her husband left the house to make cabinets for one Mrs. Amakor Divine Joyse, who lives in the Galadimawa axis of Abuja. Evelyn and his two-year-old daughter waited in vain for the return of their breadwinner.
The missing Adegbayi had called his wife at about 7 p.m. on the ill-fated day to inform her that he was done with his assignment and was on his way but had a transportation delay. That would be the last conversation between the missing Shola Adegbayi and his wife.
Adegbayi
“I became worried when I didn’t see him and couldn’t reach him by phone. Normally, when his mobile phone battery is running low, he would call to inform me so that I wouldn’t worry about not being able to reach him. But there was nothing of the sort on this day. When it was around 10 p.m., I went to the highway and started asking drivers coming from Abuja city if there was traffic congestion on the road, but all of them said the road was clear. I stayed on the main road until 12 a.m. before I returned home,” she said.
When asked about the investigation into the matter, Evelyn said, “There hasn’t been any information. The police stopped responding to me on regular visits; at one point, they stopped me from coming into the police station. I used to visit the Galadimawa police station. My sister-in-law, who lives in the Kuchingoro community, used to take me to the FCT Police Command, but she also got tired after some time.”
Evelyn, however, expressed optimism that her husband will return.
“There is nothing more we can do; we are just praying for him. But I have not resigned myself to a bad fate; I am still hopeful for his return,” she added.
When contacted about the cases, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, a superintendent of police, said, “I was not in the FCT then.”
She, however, did not comment when asked about the recent cases.
Also, the Police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, an assistant commissioner of police, did not respond to the message sent to his phone on Friday, January 17.
