Family asks Civil Defence Corps to produce their son

Jethro Ibileke/Benin: Authorities of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), have been asked to explain the whereabouts of one of its operatives, Howell Obia, who is said to be missing since August last year.

Elder sister of the missing operative, Mrs. Sandra Nwonye, in a petition to the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike, said they are yet to see him in person since he was deployed on special duties to Port Harcourt, Rivers state, in August last year.

Mrs. Nwonye, in company of Miss Judith Agbaje, fiance to his missing brother, disclosed to journalists in Benin that they were in touch with him after his arrival in Port Harcourt up until March 8, 2016, when he told them that he was in a vessel on the high sea.

Mrs. Nwonye further alleged that calls, text messages sent to his GSM lines thereafter went unanswered, even as one of his close friends and colleague in Port Harcourt, ‎confirmed that he has not heard from him.

“He joined the civil defence 5 years ago and was in Benin city before the deployment. In December, he sent me some money and promised to visit but he never came.

“We went to the Civil Defence offices in Benin City and Port Harcourt ‎and the authorities did not tell us anything satisfactory about his disappearance except of course to impute blame on him,” she said.

Also speaking, Miss Agbeye said; “We were going to get married and he said he will be in Benin the weekend we last heard from him. Three of them who were deployed to Port Harcourt have since returned to Benin except him.”

Meanwhile, Mrs. Nwonye disclosed to journalists that some of the personal belongings of Mr. Obia, including three cell phones and clothes, were returned to them last week‎ by an official of the NSCDC in Benin, but without information about his whereabouts.

Efforts to get comments from authorities of the NSCDS failed, as the Commandant was said to be holding security meeting‎, just as an official of the paramilitary outfit claimed ignorance of the letter concerning the missing Mr Obia.

He referred our correspondent to the national headquarters at Abuja or Port-Harcourt.‎