…Cries mum of 25–year–old student who went missing on way to varsity
I’m running mad
By MATTHEW DIKE
Disappeared without a trace since 34 days while returning to school in the East from Lagos, distraught parents of a 25-year old undergraduate, Ismail Balogun have resorted to fasting and prayer for his safe return. Balogun, a 300 level Animal Science student of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, left the Maza Maza motor park on November 30, 2012 to board a bus back to school.
He is a product of a broken home. Balogun’s parents separated when he was just 19 months old. Narrating her ordeal, the mother, Oluwatoye told Daily Sun that since her son went missing in transit, she is gradually becoming mentally unstable because there was no record of any accident involving the bus he travelled in.
Ismail’s father is equally worried. He had posers. Was his son a victim or cultism of rituals? Where did his captors take the photograph they posted on Facebook? His mother told Daily Sun on phone that on the fateful day (November 30, 2012), her first son, Ismail, wanted to go back to school.
She left her residence at Ibeshe Waterside Village in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Lagos, to her former husband’s residence on Egbe, Ikotun Road, Lagos, to see the undergraduate. Oluwatoye said she bought provisions and foodstuff for Ismail and gave him some cash. She wanted to accompany Ismail to Maza-Maza motor-park, along Lagos–Badagry Expressway, but he told her not to worry.
She said Ismail left Egbe Ikotun Road, a Lagos suburb, at about 4 pm. At after 9pm, she called him and he responded that they were just moving out of Maza-Maza. At about 11pm she called her son’s two phones and they rang but there was no response.
At about 6am she called and this time, the mobile phones were switched off. She also called again at about 12pm, yet, no communication whatsoever. According to Oluwatoye, she had since called her former husband, Musibau Balogun, who told her not to worry. He told his wife that probably Ismail could be sleeping when she phoned him.
Her words: “Since November 30 that my first son embarked on that journey back to school and was missing in transit, I cannot sleep, eat or concentrate on anything. The problem is driving me crazy. My son is such a good boy. He is my first son. He used to advise me. He used to console me when I am so worried about anything. He usually gives me good advice even about my business.
I am a trader. He would come to the market to assist me in some cases when he is in Lagos. What am I going to do now? First, I could not even eat well. Now I have started fasting since over one week. I’m praying for divine intervention. God should please save my child and allow him to return home,” Oluwatoye prayed. The father, Balogun said before Ismail left his residence on Egbe Ikotun Road, they attended the Ju’mat service at a mosque in the area. Balogun said Ismail left at about 4.30 pm to board a mini- bus at Maza-Maza enroute Umudike, in Umuahia. He said his son is a 300- level Animal Science student of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, who never engaged in any violent activity.
He said he called his mates in the same school in Umudike, Umuahia, and they said he had not arrived and that they too were worried as they had called his numbers but his mobile phones were switched off. The father said at about 2.25 am, photographs appeared on the Facebook showing his son half -naked and three other men sitting round a table and the look on his son’s face in the pictures showed that of a worried man. The other picture in which his son snapped alone beside a commercial mini- bus suspected to be the vehicle he wanted to board to Umuahia, showed him to be happy.
The questions the aggrieved father is asking are: Where did they snap the pictures they showed on the Facebook? Who did that? What was the intention of the person(s) who placed the pictures? Where is his son right now? Who were the three men around him? The father had been trying hard to unravel the mystery behind the strange disappearance of his son. He even went to Maza-Maza to ask the transporters if there was any serious accident between Lagos and Umuahia and they said, ‘none’.
He also asked if any mini-bus broke down on the road and they replied that none broke down. The worried father said he reported the matter at Area ‘E’, FESTAC Police Post and even wrote a petition in support of it. He visited the two telcoms service providers his son used while traveling to inquire about the calls made with the phones.
The staff of one of the service providers in Ladipo, Mushin, advised him to tell the police to visit the office. He said the staff said it would not cost the police a dime because they don’t charge money for rendering such assistance. Balogun said the police had allegedly refused to contact the service provider to locate the whereabouts of his son or his abductors.
He said they should have begun their investigation from Maza-Maza garage. He said they should also use the picture to locate the vehicle. In a petition addressed to Area ‘E’ Commander, dated December 9, 2012, and entitled ‘Lost in transit/kidnapping’, Balogun said his son got missing in transit. The petition read in parts: “I am appealing to the Area Commander, FESTAC to use his good office to save “my son’s life and bring those culprits to book”. The man said his son had been boarding vehicles from Maza-Maza to Umuahia for the past two years without any problem.
He said he only gave him money for transport because he had already paid money into Ismail’s account and when he reached his school, he would withdraw it from a bank in the school premises. “At about 7pm he called that he forgot his laptop and credentials in the house. I told him not to worry about that and I promised to give the items to his mates when they were going back for the Christmas. At about 9.30 pm, he flashed me and I called him back. He said they were about to move. I told him safe journey and prayed for him. We later tried his number several times, but no response. I love him so much. He is my first son.
I singularly trained him. His mother abandoned him and me when he was just one year and seven months old. The mother left us since over 23 years now. I suffered to make him an intelligent child that he is. His mother is married to another man. She lives at Ibeshe Waterside Village in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos. My son does not have many friends.
His friends are good boys who take their education seriously. He is very jovial. I don’t know whether he has a girl friend. I know he does not tolerate nonsense but he is not the violent type,” Balogun said.
Only God Can tell where the boy is and i pray for his safety any where he is. You never can tell he join all those Edo State boys going to Spain by Road
God will save him. I implore I.G. to hasten the search in collaboration wt network providers. I share wt the family. Is painful
Pls let the police help to trace the last calls he received and at which point. This issue is too sorrowful, as one can see that this boy might have been a unifying factor between his estranged parents.
Baba /Mama Ismail, be steadfast in prayers and insha Allah your son will return safely. We here will also remember him in our prayers. Nigeria is in a dead sh*t.
In sha Allah,Ishmael will be seen alive,IGP should please wade into the matter before anything bad happens(God forbid)!
The Nigeria Police should start their investigation from the Transport Company. The vehicle he boarded should be ascertained and if there was any attack or altercation on the road, the management of the transport company should know.
The Police should go further to trace the calls he made between the hours of 9.30pm when the bus left the park and the time when his calls were no longer going through. The Nigeria Police officers should take this case as if the young man involved was their own. He is not a toy and cannot just dissappear when there are leads to know at what point he dissappeared. Police should start from the Transport Company at Maza Maza.
Please discourage people from travelling at night. God will locate this young man and release him in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Is a pity I feel bad to hear this news only God knows his way about right now, is one of things people should learn as Nigeria are today night travel is bad, I wish is morning bus it may not happen, again nobody can give information like name of the company that own the bus, this could easy to confirm from maza maza. many things are wrong in Nigeria where peoples life a meaningless imagine begging police to do their job maybe the man did not give them millions. Man take heart hope God will answer your prayers Amen.
would be nice if police can come into the aid of this family as they did for ngozi iweala when her mum was kidnapped, but i wount be suprise if these family fail to find help they required from the police authority because they are less priveledge. for this young boy full of future promises going missing for 34 days is terrible. i pray that the lord will arise for his sake and pull down every stronghold holding him captive in the name of jesus.
Police timely intervention will be appreciated .with Gods help you will unravel this mystry.police pls we are looking upto you
My little brother got missing in like manner since June 22 last year and the police have virtually frustrated the investigation process because we could not meet their investigation demand. The most surprising thing is that till date his facebook is still active with recent pictures posted; but has refused to communicate with us. We believe he may have gone abroad on foot because we cannot fathom why any person would want to operate his facebook account. With prayers, your son will reappear. Nothing evil had happened to him
In your Brothers case do you know how to Contact facebook? They can tell you where (area) he is using the facebook account from. Even provide for you phone number or ISP (internet Service Provider) details or the Internet company he is using to Log to internet. You can write me back here if you need my help
Nigeria Police and their nonchalant attitude to work. why won’t they commence investigation into the matter. or do they have a hand in the incident?
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they should analyze the facebook profile that send that picture to see who it belongs to, or who and who is a friend to the sender on fb, his activities even if it has been deleted. it is still possible
Nigeria Police each time in critical moments you always disgrace me. Must anyone tell you that this is a face saving opportunity to redeem your lost glory. Because he is not a rich man son.
Nigeria police has not been assisting in many problems. Nigeria has been a country that if you don’t have money you will not be protected or have a say in the society. A family the wrote to Police station and till date Nigeria Police Force did not take any step to rescue this family from this mess. everyday we pray for Nigeria our country. I pray to God to answer this family problem and keep the boy safe.
EITHER OWERRI OR CALABA WOMAN NA IM HOLD THIS BOBO. WHEN HE FINISH IM SCHOOL FEE ON TOP OF OWERRI OR CALABER WOMAN IM GO SURFACE. DADDY NA HOW MUCH YOU GIVE AM?
@ Dennis washington,this is a bad comment to have been posted by you. if you don’t have any sensible thing to say better keep your view to your dam self