A Professor of Nuclear Physics at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife has been declared missing by members of his family, ten years after he was kidnapped and later released.
Professor James Bolarinwa Olomo, was Tuesday said to have checked into Hotel Farlem situated at 8, Archibong Street, Afaha Ukwu, Eket, in Akwa Ibom State on Thursday, October 17, before his disappearance three days later.
Olomo was in 2003 kidnapped on July 16, but was released on August 16, of the same year after spending 31 days in his abductors’ den.
A statement issued by his family, the Olomo family of Risawe Anlerin Compound in Otan Ayegbaju, Boluwaduro Local Government Area of Osun State titled: ‘Please Save Professor James Bolarinwa Olomo’ and made available to journalists in Osogbo,Tuesday stated that, Professor Olomo travelled to Eket for an engagement as Radiation Safety Adviser (RSA) by an oil company based in Eket before his sudden disappearance and since remained incommunicado as his suspected abductors refused to pick his calls.
The statement signed by six family members of Olomo including a traditional Chief, Risawe of Otan Ayegbaju, High Chief A. O. Olomo, the brother of the victim revealed that the matter had been reported at the Eket Divisional Police headquarters where police detectives have swung into action to unravel the mystery surrounding the academician’s disappearance.
“James Bolarinwa Olomo, a professor of Physics at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife undertakes safety advice for oil companies.
“He was in Eket for one of such engagements as Radiation Safety Adviser, (RSA), when this unfortunate incident happened. He (Prof. Olomo) flew into Calabar, from Lagos by Arik Air, on that Thursday and approached Eket by road. He was in Eket, where he lodged into a hotel called Hotel Farlem.
“The family, in conjunction with his employers, OAU has made efforts to establish contact with him since October 20, without success. The matter has been reported at the Eket Divisional Police headquarters and all security agencies in the area have instituted an investigation into the incident, but the family is disturbed that, though authorities are working on the possibility of a kidnap, for three weeks now nobody has contacted the family neither has any news been heard about him,” the statement read.
Professor Olomo was said to have told the staff of the Hotel on the morning of October 20, that he was going out briefly to return later, but never came back to the hotel and could not be reached on phone.
It was also revealed that when family representatives reported at Eket police station on October 26, a team led by the Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Sunny Digha, who went in search of him only met his belongings in the hotel.
The family of Olomo has therefore appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to assist the family, the university and the police in the efforts to locate Prof. Olomo and bring him back to them alive.
