The family of a 33-year-old private tutor, Ashogba Sowedo, has appealed to members of the public to assist in locating him after he disappeared from his Badagry residence on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
In a chat with our correspondent on Monday, his uncle, Setonji Adele, said Sowedo, who also runs a small phone-charging business, is a father of one and has a history of brief disappearances linked to episodes of severe malaria, which sometimes leave him confused or disoriented.
Adele explained that the family initially did not raise an alarm because similar incidents had occurred in the past.
“We haven’t reported it to the police because this isn’t the first time. He sometimes leaves home and later finds his way back,” he said.
According to him, Sowedo had complained of malaria shortly before he went missing, raising concerns that another episode may have triggered his sudden disappearance.
Adele noted that nearly a month had now passed since Sowedo left home, far longer than his previous absences.
He also disclosed that although Sowedo is married, he and his wife live separately while co-parenting their three-year-old son.
The family became increasingly alarmed when his wife received unusual WhatsApp messages purportedly from him.
Repeated calls to Sowedo’s phone rang unanswered, and a strange post appeared on his WhatsApp status three days after he vanished, deepening the family’s fears.
Adele added that during a previous disappearance, Sowedo returned home without his phone, fueling suspicion that someone else may be in possession of it.
He said the family was now considering reporting the matter formally to the police so the phone could be tracked.
In another troubling twist, a resident who saw Sowedo the Monday after he went missing reportedly observed that he appeared confused and almost wandered into oncoming traffic.
Sowedo is described as dark-complexioned and of average height.
The family urged anyone with useful information to contact 09021348576 or report to the nearest police station.
