The family members of Elijah Bassey are seeking public assistance to help locate their father, who is mentally challenged and has gone missing in the Ajuwon community of Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State.
PUNCH Metro learnt on Monday that Bassey went missing in August 2024 after his elder brother, identified only as Ekpo, left to get him food at the house where he was staying.
Samuel, the missing man’s son, told our correspondent on Monday that they had searched the entire community and even reported the incident to the Zone 2 Police Command to locate his whereabouts.
He said, “My dad was dealing with mental health issues and was taken from Ajuwon to our village in Akwa Ibom. A few weeks later, a family member travelled to the town to bring him back.
“When he returned, our uncle, with whom he was staying, said he went out to buy food, but by the time he came back, our father was nowhere to be found. We’ve reported the matter to the police.”
During a phone interview with our correspondent on Monday, Bassey’s daughter, Rebecca, recounted a similar incident and appealed to kind-hearted Nigerians for assistance in locating their father.
She said, “My father wasn’t feeling well, and we were advised to take him to our village in Akwa Ibom for proper care. One of his brothers there assured us that he would look after him.
“We travelled to the village, but after a few days, a family member went there to bring him back to Lagos.
“I live in Ilorin with my husband, but when I heard my father had been brought back to Lagos, I travelled there. Upon arriving, I was shocked to learn that he had gone missing just a few days after his return. I am pleading with Nigerians to help us find him.”
Inspector Olanrewaju Isaac from the Zone 2 Police Command, who said he had been assisting the family in the search for their missing father, told our correspondent that the family was eager to find him to confirm his well-being.
“No one has been implicated. The family wants to determine whether the man is alive and to discover his whereabouts.
“The case was initially reported at the Ajuwon Police Station before being escalated to Zone 2 for further investigation. Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to approach the nearest police station,” he said.
