Pain as 33-year-old surveyor disappears into thin air, family writes police

A 33-year-old surveyor, Jacob Adepoju, has been declared missing by his family after he did not return home on the eve of the Osun State governorship election.

It was gathered that Jacob, who lived with his family in the Oke Baale area, Osogbo, went out around 10pm on Friday, July 15, and did not return home.

His wife, Tope, recalled that he said he was going to look for his phone when he left the house.

She said, “After we ate, he and our son, Michael, went out to our compound. When Michael came in, I asked about his daddy and he said he had left.

“He came back and I went to open the gate. He gave me a sack containing the food he bought. I carried the sack inside, thinking he was going to push his motorcycle inside as well. I noticed he did not do that. I went back and saw that he was leaving again. He said he forgot his phone.”

The mother of two said the family thought he had been arrested by the vigilantes patrolling the area when they did not see him.

She said, “I went out to look for him around 12 midnight. I thought he had been arrested by the vigilantes but I didn’t see him with them. I came back home and started calling but his phone was switched off.”

The victim’s brother, Isaiah, told PUNCH Metro that the family was not sure if Jacob was kidnapped because ransom had not been demanded.

He said the matter was reported to the zonal police headquarters.

Jacob’s close associate, Oko Marvelous, said the victim, a member of the Junior Chamber International, was an easy-going person who would not pick a fight with anyone.

“We have been trying to locate him. We have printed posters and shared around. The matter has been reported to the police as well,” he added.

The Zone XI Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Ayeni, said the family should have reported to a station near them before writing to the zonal headquarters.

“So, if somebody is missing last week, it should have been reported to a station near them and they may write a petition to the police headquarters,” he added.  (The PUNCH: Text, excluding headline)