OAU student Dorcas Oseghale missing for four days, search intensifies

DDM News

(DDM) – A 300-level chemistry student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Dorcas Oseghale, has been declared missing after vanishing on the night of August 6, 2025.

DDM gathered that the university’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, confirmed her disappearance in a statement, identifying her matriculation number as CHM/2021/165.

According to the statement, Dorcas, who resides at Adesanmi House along Ibadan Road, had told her roommate she was stepping out to buy food at the students’ village on Ede Road.

She never returned.

Repeated calls to her two phone lines went unanswered, and both numbers have remained unreachable since that evening.

By the afternoon of August 7, reports about her disappearance began circulating on students’ social media platforms.

The university’s security unit began tracking conversations related to the case and received an official report later that day from a search group, which included her roommate, Akinkuade Omobolanle Beatrice.

The case was promptly escalated to the Nigerian Police for investigation due to its complexity and the need for more advanced resources and technical expertise.

Three members of the university’s security unit were assigned to assist the students and liaise with the police in gathering preliminary information.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire commended students for promptly sounding the alarm and urged law enforcement to intensify efforts in locating Dorcas.

He also appealed to anyone with relevant information to contact the police or the university’s security unit without delay.

The incident has sparked concern across the OAU community, with many students expressing fears about safety around the campus environment, especially at night.

Security experts note that the disappearance bears hallmarks that require urgent and thorough investigation, considering Nigeria’s wider security challenges and the alarming frequency of abductions targeting students in recent years.

OAU has experienced isolated incidents of missing students in the past, though none have garnered such immediate mobilization of both the student body and the authorities.

Student leaders have called for increased surveillance around campus entry points, better lighting in public areas, and tighter security presence at off-campus hostels.

For now, the fate and whereabouts of Dorcas remain unknown, with friends, family, and colleagues anxiously awaiting any credible update.

Authorities say time is critical in such cases, and public cooperation could make the difference in safely recovering the mising student .

Anyone with useful information is urged to reach out immediately to security agencies before crucial leads go cold.