Nation
Missing Babcock University Student Found After Public Outcry
The search for Oladipupo Siwajuola, a student of Babcock University in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, ended in relief over the weekend as the missing undergraduate was finally located, days after his distraught mother took to social media to plead for help.
His mother, Fijabi Oyindamola Omotayo, had sparked a wave of concern and public sympathy after she posted a tearful video on Facebook on Saturday, April 3, calling on Nigerians and security agencies to help locate her son, whom she said had gone missing shortly after she dropped him off at the university.
“I dropped him off at Babcock on Sunday evening, April 27. Since then, I haven’t been able to sleep. I don’t know where he is, and I need help finding my child,” she had cried out during the livestream, which quickly went viral and drew the attention of thousands of concerned Nigerians.
The news of Siwajuola’s recovery was first shared in a brief Facebook update by Omotayo on Saturday evening. “My son has been found,” she wrote simply, without disclosing further details about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance or recovery.
On Sunday, the Director of Marketing and Communications at Babcock University, Dr. Joshua Suleiman, confirmed the development in response to media inquiries. In a short WhatsApp message, Dr. Suleiman said, “Yes, we are aware,” referring to the boy’s safe return.
However, as of the time of filing this report, the specific details about how and where Siwajuola was found remain unclear. The university has yet to issue an official statement addressing the incident, and there has been no comment from the police or any security agency.
The case had stirred public interest not only because of the emotional appeal from the mother but also due to concerns about student safety and communication procedures within private universities. Many observers questioned the school’s internal protocols for monitoring student movement and ensuring parental notifications in unusual situations.
Though the mystery surrounding Siwajuola’s disappearance remains unresolved, the good news of his return has brought considerable relief to his family and the wider public who joined in the search online.
As attention turns to understanding what went wrong and preventing a recurrence, there are calls for Babcock University and other institutions to strengthen their student welfare and communication systems, especially during sensitive security situations.
