The family members of Moshood Sadiku say they are hoping that the Lagos State Police Command will find their 13-year-old daughter, Latifat, who had gone missing since December 25, 2014.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Latifat, the first child of her parents, left home at about 7pm on the Christmas Day and had not been seen.
The teenage girl, who is in Junior Secondary School 3, lived with her family in a rented apartment on Oredapo Street, Idimangoro in the Agege area of Lagos.
Our correspondent gathered that the parents, who initially felt Latifat might have gone to their grandfather’s place in a neighbouring street, later became worried when the grandparents said they never saw her.
They thereafter reported the matter at the Dopemu Police Division on December 27.
When our correspondent visited the family’s apartment last Saturday, the mother, Maryam Sadiku, said her daughter was a well-behaved girl who, she believed, did not run away with a boyfriend.
She added that all efforts by the family to locate her whereabouts till date had not yielded any result.
She said, “On the evening of that Christmas Day, at about 7pm, she told me she was going to use the toilet. She then went to the tap and drew water. She made for the toilet and that was the last anyone knew. A neighbour washing clothes at the verandah said she saw Latifat stroll out of the compound.
“She has never gone away like this. The only place she sometimes went was our grandfather’s house which is a few houses from us. She didn’t have any boyfriend she might be staying with.
“People are just consoling us that she might be with female friends, but that is still very mysterious to me. I trust God that my daughter will return, and that the police will also put in more efforts.”
As of the time of visit, Latifat’s father, Moshood, who works as an inter-state transporter, was not available for comment. It was learnt that the private school the teenager attended had also tried to locate her whereabouts but to no avail.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed that Latifat was on the police’s list of missing persons, adding that any member of the public with useful information should contact the Dopemu Police Station.
He said, “Latifat speaks both Yoruba and English languages. Anyone who sees the teenager should report to the police.”
