Dalena Reporters l Saturday, February 28, 2026
LAGOS — A 74-year-old father’s plea for answers has brought renewed public scrutiny to a troubling unresolved case of a man who vanished after being taken into police custody in Lagos State more than a year ago. The grieving father is demanding that security forces produce his missing 40-year-old son “dead or alive” as frustration mounts over the prolonged silence and absence of clear police updates about the man’s fate.
In a heartfelt interview with PUNCH, Francis Azenabor, a retired technician from Ego Nyemi, Ishan in Edo State, recounted the anguish of losing contact with his son, identified as Osas, after what the family believes was an arrest by police officers in Ketu, Lagos roughly 15 months ago. The elder Azenabor described the ordeal as a relentless torment, triggered by the sudden disappearance of his son after supposed custody.
“My heart bleeds with pain; I want them to produce my son — dead or alive,” the elderly man said, reflecting a desperation shared by many families caught in prolonged missing person cases linked to law enforcement detentions. He expressed deep disappointment in the absence of transparent communication from the police regarding any investigations or inquiries since the moment Osas was last seen.
Concerns over such disappearances in Nigeria have intensified in recent years, with families frequently reporting a lack of information following contacts with security agencies. Human rights advocates have repeatedly called for improved accountability and clarity on procedures for custody detentions, especially where there are significant gaps in official reporting.
In response to the father’s demands, community members and civil society supporters have urged the Lagos State Police Command to issue an official statement about any records of Osas’s detention or subsequent movements. Although police sometimes withhold details during active investigations, prolonged uncertainty without family communication exacerbates public mistrust.
The case has also drawn attention to the broader challenge of tracing missing persons linked to security detentions in urban centres, where procedural transparency is seen as essential to safeguarding rights and addressing claims of unlawful disappearance. Legal observers note that families should have prompt access to official case reports and custodial records when relatives are taken into police custody, as is expected under Nigeria’s legal framework.
At present, Osas’s whereabouts remain unknown, and the Azenabor family continues to press authorities for answers. The elder’s impassioned plea that the police produce his son “dead or alive” — echoes the deep frustration of families desperate for justice and closure in cases where a loved one’s fate hangs in uncertainty.