Concerns Mount over Missing UK-based Businessman

• As 60 groups petition IGP over missing Charity Aiyedogbon

Abimbola Akosile

For the family of Mojeed Kola Animashaun, the last one month has been traumatic. This has to do with their endless search for 54-year-old Mojeed Kola Animashaun who went missing on Sunday July 31, 2016. Mojeed, a businessman, relocated from the United Kingdom to Nigeria two years ago.

On that last day in July, Mojeed, who is married with four children – three in London and one in Nigeria – had set out from Ikorodu with a couple of visits to different areas of Lagos on his itinerary. His first port of call was his property at Aguda located on No 2 Ademola Oki Street, Surulere. On that short trip from Ikorodu to Aguda, he was in the company of two people – his brother, Rafiu Alaba Animashaun, and a yet-to-be identified friend, who later dropped off.

At his Aguda property, Mojeed met with his two tenants, Morris and Fuad, and informed them of his decision that they should move out of the property by year end. He later proceeded to Itire where he dropped off his brother, Rafiu, and informed him that he was heading to Ajah, where his friend lives. But at that time, his friend was in London. His plan was to hold a meeting with a lady at his friend’s house. Curiously, no one knew who the lady was or where she lives.

That was the last that was heard of him since that fateful day. His disappearance has however raised a number of puzzles. Who was the unnamed man that was with him from Ikorodu to Aguda? Who was the lady he was heading to Ajah to meet at his friend’s house? Did the meeting with the lady hold?

Posters with his photograph and basic details were printed and circulated by his family as part of efforts to locate him. His disappearance had been reported in a few police stations in the state while hospitals and even mortuaries had been visited in search of him.

“Yes the police has been informed and they said they will investigate,” a family member told THISDAY. His family is hoping that he would one day walk through the door to the embrace of his loved ones.

Meanwhile, pursuant to an earlier call on the Police over the missing Abuja business woman, Charity Aiyedogbon, 63 Civil Society Organisations under the aegis of Coalition against Crime in Nigeria have petitioned Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, urging him to take necessary steps to effect the arrest of a prime suspect in the matter, Paul Ezeugo, presently at large.

The petition dated August 22, captioned: ‘Re-Missing Charity Aiyedogbon: pertinent issues; our demands, signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Harrison Pepple and made available to newsmen, also called on the Police to conduct a DNA test on a body displayed on Facebook by a Lagos lawyer (name withheld) to ascertain the veracity of his claim that it is that of the missing woman.

The two-page petition made a six-point demand and reads in part: “Coalition against Crime in Nigeria is a network of 63 Civil Society Organisations advocating against crime, immorality and other social vices in Nigeria.”

“We first write to commend you for your determination towards unravelling the mystery behind the sudden disappearance of an Abuja-based lady, Charity Aiyedogbon, aka Chacha, being handled by the Monitoring Unit of your office (IGPMU).”

“We are aware that the missing woman’s husband, David Aiyedogbon was directly accused by a Lagos-based lawyer, Emeka Ugwuonye of having a hand in her disappearance. He also displayed a corpse on his Facebook group, Due Process Advocates, claiming that it was that of the missing woman, among others.”

“We are also aware that the missing woman’s daughter’s (Juliet) wedding was postponed indefinitely as a result of the controversy generated by misinformation fed to Nigerians by Ugwuonye’s claims over her missing mother. We also have reports that some arrests have been made in connection with her disappearance, while her vehicle and two handsets have been recovered, among other developments.”

Continuing, the petition urged the Police to address Nigerians on the extent of investigation, while officially declaring Charity Aiyedogbon missing.

Other demands by the group are that the Police should “officially declare Charity Aiyedogbon (Chacha) missing; invite her extended family members (parents and 4 siblings) for questioning, following their continued silence on the matter of their missing daughter since May 10, 2016 and all those that have questions to answer (from your investigations) be charged to Court without further delay.”

Abuja-based business woman, Charity Aiyedogbon was declared missing on social media by her friends and her whereabouts remains a mystery that the Police is attempting to unravel.