Confusion over ‘abducted’ of OAU professor in Akwa Ibom State

Prof. James Bolarinwa Olowo

…Family begs Akpabio for immediate intervention

A Professor of Nuclear Physics at the  Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Professor James Bolarinwa Olomo, has been declared missing by members of his family.
Olomo was said to have checked into Hotel Farlem at 8, Archibong Street, Afaha Ukwu, Eket, in Akwa Ibom State on Thursday, October 17, before his disappearance three days later.

According to a statement issued by the Olomo family of Boluwaduro Local Government Area of Osun State entitled: Please Save Professor James Bolarinwa Olomo and made available to journalists, 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 has since remained incommunicado as his suspected abductors refused to pick his calls.
The matter has been reported at the Eket Divisional Police headquarters where police detectives have swung into action to unravel the mystery surrounding the academician’s disappearance.

The statement reads in part: “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 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, nobody has contacted the family neither has any news been heard about him.”

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.

When asked if it is a case of kidnap of death, the OAU ASUU chairman, Professor Adegbola Akinola, said he wasn’t sure as no contact has ben made demanding for any ransom.
“Due to his kind of work, anyone could want him out of the way but we are not sure of what happened. We are appealing to the government and Police to intensify efforts to locate him”, Akinola said.

In the same vein, the young brother of missing Professor, Mr. Segun Olomo, says his family members could not celebrate the Christmas because of what they are going through.

Segun Olomo said he has continued to call the three lines of his elder brother without positive result. “I even tried the three phone lines today and it didn’t go through. Ever since he got missing, I have continued to call the lines everyday but the phones are not reachable, he explained.

Meanwhile, when Ibomcelebs contacted the family of the missing professor, calls on the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State to prompt intervene into the matter.