Amidu Arije
It is over 100 days since a serving corps member, Imam Rafiu Olalekan, got missing in Lagos where he is posted and his whereabouts still unknown.
Rafiu was last seen in Myhoung Military Barracks, Yaba, Lagos, where he was squatting with a friend, on Monday, 24th of December, 2018. Until his
disappearance, Rafiu was doing his official primary assignment with Capital Assets Limited, Bookshop House, Broad Street, Lagos.
Rafiu, a Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna, Niger State graduate with B.Tech in Maths/Statistics, was serving in Lagos with a state code LA18A3230 and was a member of the March 2018 Batch A set that passed out last month. But his mysterious disappearance denied him the opportunity of passing out with his colleagues. All efforts by family members and the state security agencies have not yielded any positive result as the family keeps shedding tears on daily basis in search of their beloved son.
A dissatisfied uncle of Rafiu, Ishaq Olawale Abdusalami, said efforts put in place in search of their son by the Lagos State Command of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) were not encouraging and futile.
Abdusalami said the only tangible effort made by the state NYSC was the publication of the missing corps member in a national daily, which, he said, was commendable but not enough effort in this type of case.
“Since the news of disappearance of Rafiu was broken, it was the family and friends that published it in different national dailies and social media.
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“After much pressure and demands from NYSC by the family, Lagos State NYSC only managed to advertise his disappearance only in a national daily. It saddens our hearts that this had been the best response the family ever got from NYSC about his disappearance. It was the family that reported the case at Sabo Police, Yaba, Panti (Anti-kidnapping Squad), Ojuelegba Stations and had engaged different private security and search experts plus family’s other personal efforts geared towards unraveling Lekan’s whereabouts.
“Honestly speaking, NYSC has never been proactive or aggressive in this matter. Only relying on updates from the family members; this baffles the family a lot and it raises so many questions on our minds,” he said.
Abdusalami also accused the police of exploitation over the matter, as they always demand money from the family each time they visit them on the case.
“Expectedly, going to police on the matter was not a funny thing at all. Instead of police to treat and see Lekan’s matter as a national challenge, they have been using all avenues to exploit the family financially each time we visited their station for updates,” he said.
Abdulsalami wondered if the saying by the NYSC that corps members are precious assets to them and the nation is anything to believe as they have not shown any sense of concern for the case of the missing Rafiu.
“I have heard NYSC, on several occasions, saying that corps members are precious assets to them and the nation at large and that, they are committed to their welfare, safety and protection. Unfortunately, NYSC has lived far below all expectations, as their response towards Rafiu’s case can best be described as nonchalant.
“It is obvious that Rafiu’s case is a forgone issue in the minds of NYSC, even before his mates passed out last month. This is because NYSC, both the Lagos State chapter and National Headquarters in Abuja, have refused to issue any white paper, expressing their dismay or declaring Rafiu’s disappearance a national concern since his Batch A members passed out,” he said.
According to Abdulsalami, the family’s appeal over their missing son is: “While we are using this medium to appreciate the concerns of the general public over Rafiu’s disappearance, we are calling on the appropriate quarters; the Federal Government, NYSC National Headquarters and all our representatives in the National Assembly from Kogi West and Kogi State in particular, to as a matter of urgency, wade into our matter. Indeed, Rafiu is a great asset to Kogi State.”
