OAU PROFESSOR OF NUCLEAR PHYSICS GOES MISSING IN AKWA IBOM

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.