Family of 64-year-old missing woman cries for help

Missing woman

The missing woman

The missing woman

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

The family of a 64-year-old woman, Mrs. Veronica Eromosele, has cried out for help as she has been missing over a month.

Mrs. Eromosele, who was said to have left home on the fateful day to attend evening mass at Sacred Heart Catholic, which is about 500 metres from their house located at 61, PZ Road, off Sapele Road, Benin City, did not return home till date.

Narrating how his mother went missing to journalists at the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), her 28 year-old Joseph Arabomen, said he has formally reported the incident at the police and called for “save our soul.”

According to him, “About a month ago, I was lying at home as I was off duty from my place of work and around 4.oopm, she, [my mother], came out of her room and tapped me and told me she wants to go to church and that she wants money for offering. She took money from my trousers​ which I hung on a chair and left.

“When she got to the gate, our gate man also stopped her because whenever she is going out, our gate man normally stop to ask and she said she was going to church. I saw her entered ‘Keke’ [tricycle] to the church, Sacred Heart Catholic Church which is about 500 metres from our house. She is expected to close from the church by 7.00 pm.

“I waited till 8.30pm and didn’t hear from her. I called her line and her line was ringing at home. I became apprehensive and I had to quickly inform my neighbour and together we went to the church at about 9 o’clock, but the church has closed.

Related News

“I couldn’t sleep that night, so the next morning, I went to morning mass with her picture to inform the Reverend Father that I have not seen my mother and members of the church confirmed that she was in the church the previous evening. Since that day till date, we have not set our eyes on her.”

He said he made a formal report at Etete Police Station, from where he was referred to the State CID for radio control to all formations, adding that the police did the radio announcement for three days and there was no positive response.

“I have also gone to ‘Man Around Town’ which is a popular local radio programme. The DSS and Intelligence Services went around but no clue. They came to the house to take my statement; they went to the church to take the statement of the Reverend Father, but up till now there is no news.

“It has not been long she came back from Port Harcourt [where she went] to visit my elder brother. I noticed that she has not been happy since she came back but she did not tell me any reason for her not being happy since she returned.

“We were staying in Aduwawa before. We just moved to PZ area and I have tried to reach all her friends that I know, but nobody has any information about her. Her friends normally come to her house to ask for her. I have gone to her sister’s place in Oben, she is not there and she has not been seen. I am worried as we don’t know her whereabouts,” he said.

 

Load more