•Accuses cousin of kidnap, slavery

After waiting to hear from his brother for eight years without information, a Lagos resident, Mr. Sunday Joseph Isiabor, has sought President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in unraveling the mystery surrounding his brother’s disappearance in Belgium.

The 43-year-old Anthony Isiabor, had gone missing after arriving in Belgium eight years ago.

Narrating the incident, Isiabor, accused his Belgium-based cousin, Doris Usiagwu, of kidnapping and enslaving his brother in the guise of rendering help to the family.

He told The Guardian that his missing brother was last heard from on March 5, 2015, shortly after his arrival in Belgium.

He said: “Doris had offered to help my brother to elevate my family from the shackles of poverty, which she fulfilled.

“Anthony, alongside Doris’s sister, Peace Usiagwu, travelled on March 5, 2015, and she confirmed their arrival through phone calls. That was the last time we heard of him. Doris, on the other hand, had stopped answering our calls regarding Anthony.”

Isiabor, who came to The Guardian office, added: “My family, especially my mother, has been worried over the situation, and has been in and out of hospital as a result.

“In 2020, when Doris came back to Nigeria for a burial, I arranged with the Department of State Service (DSS) for her arrest, but was prevented by my kinsmen from doing so. I was told the matter would be handled traditionally without public escalation, but sadly, nothing has been done.

“Going forward, I have written to several agencies and bodies, like the National Human Right Commission, Abuja and Lagos Branch, Ministry of Foreign affairs, Director General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Belgium Embassy, Chairman Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), and the Nigeria ambassador to Belgium, for possible intervention, yet nothing has happened.

“When I approached NAPTIP, at Ikeja Zonal Command, for proper investigation and repatriation of Doris over my missing brother, the matter was transferred to Abuja and assigned to one Mr. George to investigate, while Mr. Daniel Atokolo stood as the Director of Investigation.

“Although the preliminary level of the investigation looked positive, later it became fruitless as nothing useful came out of it.

“I was told that NAPTIP lacks the power to arrest anyone living outside the shores of the country. I feel that Doris had collaborated with the investigator to truncate the matter.”

Isiabor called on Tinubu, Foreign affairs Minister, Yusuf Mataima Tuggar, Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, as well as all traditional rulers in Edo State, and other stakeholders, to help end his family predicament.

He expressed fears that his missing brother is being used for human enslavement and other exploitative means.

When The Guardian visited NAPTIP, Lagos zonal office, an official, who identified himself simply as Taiwo, said the matter requires meticulous investigation.

“Cases outside the shores of the country require enough time to be investigated. However, the complainant can always send a reminder to NAPTIP headquarters and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for progress reports,” he added.

As at press time, Doris and Peace Usiagwu were not picking calls through to their Belgian lines. (The Guardian)

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