The Rivers State Police have arrested four suspects in connection with the disappearance of Yahya Faruq, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Faruq went missing in Ikuru town, located in the Andoni Local Government Area, on October 4, 2024.
According to reports from the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Faruq was last seen eight days ago. He was assigned to a secondary school in Ikuru for his primary service and worked part-time at a local mining company.
Police spokesperson SP Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the incident on October 23, stating that investigations are ongoing to find out what happened to Faruq.
“The Rivers State Police Command is actively investigating the disappearance of Mr. Yahaya Faruk, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member who was deployed to Community Secondary School, Ikuru Town, and has been missing since October 14, 2024,” the statement read.
“On October 15, 2024, the principal of Community Secondary School, Ikuru Town, Mr. Anderson Awaji Ogbana, reported to the Ngo Divisional Police Headquarters that Mr. Faruk could not be located within the school premises or the surrounding community.
“It was later revealed that Mr. Faruk had been involved in casual employment with LDM Mining Company, also located in Ikuru Town.
“Upon receiving this report, the Police summoned Mr. Wen Hauiguo, the manager of LDM Mining Company, for questioning. On October 16, 2024, he was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), where he admitted to employing Mr. Faruk as a casual worker on the night shift, from 4:00 PM to midnight.
Mr. Wen, the site manager of the mining company where Faruq worked, mentioned that on the evening of October 14, two unidentified individuals arrived on a motorcycle and took Faruq away from his duty post. Faruq’s colleagues—Joseph Godstime, Levi Stephen, Ejit-Awaji Michael, and Ishmael Jireh—were also questioned but denied any involvement in his disappearance.
On October 18, the Commissioner of Police personally interviewed everyone connected to the case. The police are employing advanced technology to aid in the search for Faruq. Officers from the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are working alongside the Community Development Committee (CDC) and local leaders in Ikuru to strengthen the search efforts.
The CDC Chairman assured the police that the community is fully engaged in the search, extending their efforts to surrounding areas, and is hopeful for positive developments soon.
The Rivers State Police Command is committed to uncovering the circumstances surrounding Yahya Faruq’s disappearance. They encourage his family to reach out to the police for support and urge anyone with relevant information to assist in the investigation.
