by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
A cleric, Bishop Sylvester Asobo, has been declared missing, a member of the family, Mr. Thaddaeus Aondowase Asobo, has revealed.
The victim, Bishop Asobo, who is son of Mbagen, from Buruku Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, allegedly disappeared after been declared wanted by police in Kaduna State.
The family member and brother, Mr. Thaddaeus Aondowase Asobo, who raised an alarm over the disappearance of Bishop (Dr.) Sylvester Asobo, in a statement made available recently, claimed that their son was declared wanted by the police in the state for alleged blasphemy, since on 5th of March, 2018, in Kaduna State.
According to the family member, Bishop Asobo, of the Kingdom Citizens International Bible Church, was yet to be arrested or seen anywhere since after the police declaration in 2018.
“The State Police Command had allegedly declared the Bishop wanted for alleged serial preaching against a particular Muslim religious sect,” according to Thaddaeus Aondowase Asobo.
“The police urged anyone with useful information about him to report to the nearest Police Station,” he alleged.
The 49-year-old Christian cleric was reportedly last seen in the Birnin Gwari area of Kaduna State on 5th March, 2018, with his whereabouts unknown since then.
Reacting to the development, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Kaduna State Police Command, Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Mansir Hassan, said he joined the force after the matter and so was not aware of it. He, however, added that he has no record of such case even since becoming PPRO.
According to him, the Command routinely sends out updated information on daily and weekly basis on developments, saying, Asobo case was not known to him.
Nonetheless, spokesman/head of the Asobo family, Mr. Thaddaeus Aondowase Asobo, insisted that the Bishop has been missing since the date in Kaduna State.