Panic as Ogun teenager declared missing after eight days

The family of a teenager, Imole Ilesanmi, has raised the alarm over her whereabouts after she reportedly went missing in the Agbado area of Ogun State.

Imole was said to have gone missing around 3pm on Sunday, September 20, 2026, after she left her family home.

Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Metro on Sunday, Imole’s father said she was at home when he asked her to prepare food for him.

He said the family later learnt that she planned to visit a cleric in the Popóshóla area after cooking.

“She went missing on Sunday around 3pm. She was at home and I asked her to cook for me. The information we got was that she said she wanted to go and see an Alfa in that area after cooking. Since then, we have not heard from her.

“We have been calling her line. It was ringing from Sunday until Monday morning, but nobody answered. Her friends and some people we asked also said she mentioned that she was going towards that area,” he said.

The father said the matter was reported at the Agbado Police Station, adding that the cleric was initially arrested but later released.

He said the family was concerned about the cleric’s release because they believed he could provide information that might help establish Imole’s whereabouts.

According to him, several people directed the family to the area where the cleric lived, while some residents also claimed to have seen Imole around the neighbourhood.

However, the cleric, identified simply as Alfa, denied knowing the teenager’s whereabouts, saying she did not visit his residence on the day she disappeared.

He said Imole had told people that she was going to Popóshóla, rather than his house.

“She did not say she wanted to come to my place. She said she was going to Popóshóla. Even her friend said she was going to Popóshóla, not my house.

“She used to come to my place before, but I did not see her on that Sunday. I also did not see her on Monday when they said she was seen around the neighbourhood,” he said.

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Alfa said he was detained for a day before being released, adding that a police officer stayed with him at his residence throughout Sunday.

“They detained me for one day. There was a police officer with me at my house throughout that Sunday. He was also the person who went with me to the station.

“He can testify that she was not at my place throughout that day. I am ready to provide his contact details so that he can confirm what happened,” he said.

Speaking on efforts to locate her, Imole’s sister, Ayomide Ilesanmi, said the family had been unable to establish what happened after she was last seen.

“The neighbour said they saw her walking up and down. She was restless and kept walking, and they told her to rest. Later, they did not hear from her again.

“We were told that she went to Popóshóla and that she branched at her friend’s place. We waited for her to come back, but minutes turned to hours and then days. It has been four days and she has still not come back,” she said.

Ayomide said the family had visited churches and a mosque to pray for Imole’s safe return.

She added that the family had received several rumours since they began circulating Imole’s photographs and information online.

“Since we started posting everywhere, different rumours have been coming. Some people would say they found her body or that they found something concerning her, but when we checked, we discovered that the information was fake.

“It has been difficult for us because we keep receiving different information and we don’t know which one to believe,” she said.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, had yet to respond to an enquiry about the incident when contacted.

However, a senior police officer privy to the incident, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak with the media, confirmed the case.