Since Thursday, August 7, 2025, the Obafemi Awolowo University community has been in distress following the sudden disappearance of Dorcas Oseghal, a Part 3 student of the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science.
A message widely circulated by OAU students via WhatsApp and X (formerly Twitter), which included her picture, declared her missing. It stated that she had stepped out at 8:00 PM on the night of August 6 to get food at Maintenance but never returned. Her phone has been off, leaving no means of contacting her. The message appealed to the general public that if anyone has seen her or has any useful information, they should contact AVT: 08067404685.
Another official release by the Great Ife Students’ Union on August 8, 2025, confirmed the incident, assuring students that the matter is being handled with urgency. The Union stated that it is collaborating with university authorities, security agencies, and relevant stakeholders to locate Dorcas. They also noted that they visited the Ife Police Area Command alongside Dorcas’s mother and friends to check for any updates.
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The Union urged anyone with information, no matter how small, to report to Union officials or the nearest police station, assuring anonymity. The release also alerted students to remain vigilant, move in groups, and look out for one another.
Furthermore, in a press release by the management, it was explained that Dorcas’s roommate alongside other students reported her absence after attempts to contact her failed. This prompted the university’s Security Unit to investigate. According to the release, due to resource limitations, the Security Unit has collaborated with police personnel to further investigate the case. Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, the Vice-Chancellor, has also commended students for their vigilance and urged anyone with information about Dorcas’s whereabouts to contact local authorities or the university’s Security Unit.
Tomiwa Adekunle, a friend of Dorcas, tweeted on X (formerly Twitter): ‘We just found out from the food vendor that she never got there to buy the food — her name was not on the transaction history for last night. The update is that she left her hostel, Adesanmi House, at about 8:10 PM to go to Maintenance, trekking down there. She should have arrived by 8:30 PM at the latest, since it’s about a 20-minute walk. Her phone went off at 8:36 PM when her friend tried to reach her, and since then, there has been no news.’
Speaking to ACJOAU, Tomiwa clarified that the restaurant in question is Doyin Olofada. She added that there has still been no information on Dorcas’s whereabouts and that any useful information would be appreciated.
Below are the contacts provided in the Great Ife Students’ Union release for anyone with useful information about Dorcas’s whereabouts:
Contacts for Information:
Olowosile Joseph Oreoluwa, PRO, Great Ife Students’ Union – +2348021726450
Habeeb Oke Isa (Opeyemi), Secretary General, Great Ife Students’ Union – +2348061166277
Adelani David Oluwatodimu (Itabi), President, Great Ife Students’ Union – +2348052753258