OAU Professor of Nuclear Physics Missing Again

Just after ten years a Professor of Nuclear
Physics of the Obafemi Awolowo University,
Ile-Ife was kidnapped and later released, his
family yesterday made it known that the
renown academician had been declared
missing again .
It was reported Tuesday evening that
Professor James Bolarinwa Olomo  lodged 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.
It would be recalled that Olomo was 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 Tuesrday 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
sworn into action to unravel the mystery
surrounding the disappearance.
The statement reads: “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.”
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.
Consequently, the perturbed family who has
intimated the Osun State government and
traditional institutions in the state with the
development 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.