Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, in Ondo State, has been thrown into a state of confusion and growing anxiety following the unexplained disappearance of two of its students.
The missing undergraduates, identified as Andrel Okah from the Department of History and International Studies (Faculty of Arts) and John Abba from the Department of Economics (Faculty of Agriculture), have been unaccounted for over the past two weeks.
The absence of the 200-level students from lectures and other academic activities has caused alarm among their fellow students and the university community.
According to a concerned student, who gave his name as Ajibola, all efforts to trace the missing students have proved fruitless, with repeated attempts to contact them via phone yielding no results.
“It’s been more than two weeks since they vanished from campus. They’ve not attended classes or participated in any academic activity.
“We have searched everywhere we can think of and tried calling their numbers, but nothing has worked. We’re all very worried. No one knows if it’s a kidnapping or something else entirely,” Ajibola told reporters.
He added that the students’ close friendship makes their simultaneous disappearance even more suspicious.
“The fact that they are close friends is making us even more uneasy. Their sudden disappearance is not just strange—it’s terrifying. We’ve informed the school and the police, but all we keep hearing is ‘stay calm.’
“No concrete steps seem to have been taken. Some officials are suggesting they might have travelled for a break, but nobody believes that. Everyone is anxious.”
Efforts to reach the university’s spokesperson, Mr. Victor Akinpelumi, were unsuccessful. However, a top university official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the school management is aware of the situation and has reported the case to the police for further investigation.
“Yes, we are fully aware, and we’re cooperating with the police. But you’ll agree that sometimes students are involved in questionable off-campus activities, which complicates such matters.
“We are monitoring developments closely to determine what could have led to this. Their classmates, too, have expressed suspicions regarding their whereabouts.”
In the meantime, the Ondo State Police Command has launched an investigation into the case. The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Ayanlade Olayinka, confirmed that the matter had been reported and that detectives are currently working to uncover the truth behind the students’ disappearance.
“We’ve received the report and investigations are ongoing. We’re actively looking into the circumstances and working to trace the missing individuals,” he stated.
As time passes with no leads or updates, worry continues to intensify across campus. Students and parents alike are calling on both the university authorities and the security agencies to act swiftly and transparently to uncover the truth and ensure the safe return of the missing students.