Police in Ondo State have opened an investigation into the disappearance of a school Vice Principal, Olaloye Olatunde, who went missing after attending a seminar in Akure.
Olatunde, who worked with Ipele Community High School in Owo, was last seen during the week-long programme before contact with him was lost.
He had travelled from Owo to Akure on Sunday to participate in a Child Labour Programme organised by Trace Project Akure in collaboration with Charakids Foundation. He checked into a hotel in the Alagbaka area where other participants were lodged. Family members explained that he had regular communication with his wife up until Wednesday. By Friday, his phone was switched off and he failed to return home despite the programme ending the same day.
Concern grew when his belongings, including his travel bag, clothes, and shoes, were later found packed out of his hotel room. Relatives who visited the hotel expressed worry after being shown unclear CCTV footage of a man leaving the premises, though they disputed the figure as not matching Olatunde.
According to the family, neither the organisers of the event nor the hotel management had formally contacted them regarding his disappearance. They later reported the case to the Zone 17 office of the police, which referred it to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad for further investigation.
Hotel officials explained that participants were accounted for until Friday night, with some checking out early and others leaving on Saturday. Staff members stated that the Vice Principal was last seen on Wednesday and Thursday morning, after which he did not return. His room was later opened with a master key following instructions from a facilitator, and his belongings were removed.
The police spokesperson in the state confirmed that the Anti-Kidnapping Unit is handling the case and has appealed to the public for information that could help trace the missing Vice Principal.