‘My Son Still Missing Two Years After Abduction’-Heartbroken Father Laments

Two years after four-year old Ikeoluwa Adeniyi went missing at Iddo Sarki, Airport Road in the Federal Capital Territory, his father, Kehinde Adeniyi says he is still hoping that his son will be found one day.

Young Ikelowa was last seen close to his mother’s shop between 7pm and 8pm on Monday, December 5, 2021.

Recalling how his son went missing, Adeniyi told THE WHISTLER that normally, his children always stay with their mother at her shop after school.

“We have a shop in Iddo Sarki. We also reside in the community. My children were playing at the back of the shop while their mother was inside the shop doing her business.

“Around 7pm to 8pm, my wife sent one of the children to go and buy rice. While the girl was going, she noticed that my son (Ikeoluwa) was following her; she told him to go back to my wife and left.

“I believe that he followed her again and she didn’t know he was following her. That is the last time he was seen,” he narrated.

The father of three said that he had arrived home around 10pm and noticed that his son was missing and his wife had told him that she had been looking for him with the hope that he was just nearby.

He added that they had searched everywhere for his son till 2am but didn’t find him, adding that he had gone to the police station in the area to report the case.

“We started looking for him from 10pm till 2am. We searched all the bushes around, uncompleted buildings and pits but we didn’t see him. That was when we went to report at the Iddo Police Station,” he said.

Adeniyi who is a native of Epe in Lagos State, revealed that his son was wearing a singlet and shorts before he went missing.

“Whenever they come back from school, they take off their school uniform. He was wearing just a singlet and shorts when he was taken,” he explained.

Adeniyi stated that a few weeks after his son went missing, he got information that some children were rescued from their kidnappers in Kaba, Kogi State by the NDLEA.

“I rushed to the NDLEA office in Abuja and was told that the children were still in Kogi. I went to the police station in my area to report the matter and they told me that they can only come with me to Kogi if I can buy fuel for them,” he said.

He added that one of the NDLEA officials had helped him make a video call with some officer at the police station in Kogi and the rescued children were shown to them.

“My son was not there. The children that were rescued were teenagers around 14 years old. My son was four when he was taken,” he said.

Adeniyi, who stated that his family has not recovered from the incident, pleaded with Nigerians and the police to help him find his son who will be seven this year.

“Three weeks back, we heard that the police arrested a woman in Gwagwalada. I was told that the woman was caught with some children but no one could tell me the station she was taken to. I have been asking around. I want to see if my child is among those she stole. I have been spending money on transport trying to see if I could ascertain her whereabouts,” he added.