By Peter Dansu Two brothers, Ifagbenga Shofoluwe, 45, and Yahaya Shofoluwe, 26, were on Monday arraigned before the Lagos State Magistrate...
By Peter Dansu
Two brothers, Ifagbenga Shofoluwe, 45, and Yahaya Shofoluwe, 26, were on Monday arraigned before the Lagos State Magistrate’s Court sitting in Oyingbo, Ebute-Metta, over the mysterious disappearance of a Badagry-based welder, Jamiu Ishola.
The duo is facing a two-count charge bordering on kidnapping and stealing, offences said to be punishable under Section 411 and Section 271 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
According to the charges, the brothers and others still at large allegedly lured Jamiu Ishola to Topo-Idale in Badagry under the pretense of fixing an iron gate. However, Ishola was never seen again—dead or alive—after responding to the call. Only his unregistered Hague motorcycle, an Android phone, a tape rule, keys, and a cross bag containing a clipper were recovered from the scene.
The police prosecutor told the court that the defendants had no explanation for Ishola’s disappearance or the items found, raising suspicion of foul play.
Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges. Magistrate O. M. Ajayi ordered their remand at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till August 22, 2025, for further mention.
Meanwhile, a protest broke out outside the courthouse as friends, family members, and members of the Nigerian Welders Association (NWA) demanded justice for the missing welder.
According to Ishola’s friend, Kazeem Adewale, the welder left his workshop in Mowo on June 16, 2025, to take on a job but never returned. By 10 p.m. that day, his phone was switched off, prompting immediate concern. The following day, a frantic search began, leading them to the Badagry General Hospital, police stations, and eventually the scene where his belongings were found.
“We tracked his phone to an uncompleted building in Idale. His motorcycle was there, and further search led us to his bag, tape rule, phone, and keys,” Adewale said.
The matter was first reported at Morogbo Police Station in Agbara and later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, for deeper investigation.
Adewale further claimed that the building where Ishola’s items were found belongs to someone currently residing in Canada, but his elder brother, Ifagbenga, was overseeing the site. A security guard allegedly revealed that Ifagbenga called Jamiu on the day of his disappearance and left with him—but later returned alone.
“We have been searching for over a month now. We want justice. We need answers. We want Jamiu—dead or alive,” Adewale cried.
Speaking during the protest, the General Secretary of the Nigerian Welders Association (NWA), Lagos State chapter, Feyiropo Famoroti, said: “We are deeply concerned. This is one of our own. We have no clarity on what happened to him. Rumors suggest he may have been killed, but we haven’t even seen a body. We want this case properly investigated and justice served.”
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