The imam of a mosque on Nuru Oniwo Street, Aguda, Surulere, Lagos State,
Yahaya Quadri, has remained missing three weeks after he left home.
PUNCH
Metro learnt that the victim had left home to pray at a house-warming
in Owode Onirin, Ikorodu, at about 8am on Monday, October 16, 2017.
He was said to have been invited to the event by a friend, who told him not to come along with anybody.
Our
correspondent gathered that the family of the 40-year-old Islamic
cleric became apprehensive around 4pm on that day when he did not return
home.
When one of his lines was contacted, he reportedly
spoke in distress for a few seconds before the call was terminated. The
lines were said to have been unreachable afterwards.
His mother,
Afusat Quadri, said the unknown friend had contacted Yahaya on the
telephone on Sunday when he was leading a group of women in a prayer at
Oluwakemi Mosque in Aguda.
She said he was supposed to leave for
Owode Onirin after the prayer ended around 4pm, but the friend told him
the event had been postponed to the following day.
She said, “He
announced at the prayer on Sunday that he was invited to pray in a
house-warming in Owode Onirin. On Monday morning, while his children,
who live with me, were preparing for school, he came in and asked them
to give him a small bag.
“I asked him what the bag was meant for
and he said he was going for the house-warming prayer and wanted to keep
his Quran there. I asked why would such an event hold on Monday and he
said that was how the organiser wanted it.
“I told him to go with one of his brothers. He said the friend that invited him had told him to come alone.
“Around
4pm, when his children returned from school, I sent them to him to
collect money for their lunch. They said he had not come back. I was
surprised because he told me he would not stay long at the event.
“I
called his line and he picked it. I asked if he was in his apartment in
Ijesha, Surulere; he exclaimed, saying, ‘I have not come o!” There was
much noise where he was. I wanted to ask him what happened, but the line
disengaged.
“We have not been able to reach him since then. He
didn’t tell us the name of the friend and we don’t know any of his
friends in Owode Onirin.”
Yahaya’s fiancée, Karimat Kasali, said
she was also amazed that the house-warming was scheduled for a Monday,
adding that she advised him to go with one of his brothers, but he
refused.
She said, “He told me he was going to Owode Onirin on
Monday morning while I was preparing for the office. Around 8.30am, I
called him and he said he was at Palmgroove waiting to board a bus en
route to Ikorodu. At about 9am, he said he was already at the event and
he promised to call me back after the prayer. Around 12pm, I called his
line, but it was not reachable.”
Yahaya’s younger brother,
Muritala Quadri, said the case was reported at the Special Anti-Robbery
Squad of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, Owode Onirin and Ijesha
police divisions and at the Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Cultism Unit in
Surulere.
“The SARS men said they had tracked his line, but could
not locate him. A policeman directed us to the Anti-Kidnapping and
Anti-Cultism Unit, which is presently handling the case. Since his lines
are switched off, it is likely he was abducted,” he added.