For nearly two months, the whereabouts of 38-year-old bank employee Oladimeji Lasisi have remained unknown. His disappearance has devastated his family—his mother has passed away from shock, his father’s health has worsened, and his wife continues to live in anguish.
The Day He Vanished
On the morning of Wednesday, August 20, 2025, retired security officer Mr. Olawale Lasisi, 62, who has battled a partial stroke for years, insisted on walking his first son to the gate before work. With a weak smile, he watched as Oladimeji left home, unaware that it would be the last time he’d see him.
When evening came and his son didn’t return, anxiety began to mount. Repeated calls to Oladimeji’s phone went unanswered. By the following morning, panic had set in. His father and wife, Mrs. Omowunmi Lasisi, searched desperately for clues, but there was none.
The next day, after contacting his workplace, a staff member reportedly told the family that they last saw him on Tuesday, not Wednesday. That revelation deepened the mystery.
A Family in Pain
The distress proved too much for Oladimeji’s ailing mother. Upon hearing the conflicting accounts from the bank, she collapsed and later died at the Ikeja General Hospital, nine days after her son disappeared. She was buried on September 12.
“It was a terrible experience,” Mr. Lasisi said, his voice heavy with emotion. “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. My wife couldn’t bear the pain.”
Before the tragedy, the family of seven lived peacefully in their modest four-bedroom apartment in Akute, Ogun State. Oladimeji worked in the technical department of First Bank’s Costain branch in Lagos.
But since that day in August, life has been anything but normal.
Tracking the Phone
Desperate for answers, the family hired an engineer to trace Oladimeji’s phone. The tracking showed the last signal from Mile 2, far from both his home in Akute and his workplace in Costain. The discovery raised more questions than answers.
Police Inaction and Alleged Extortion
Two days after he went missing, the family reported the case to the Ajuwon Police Station. According to Omowunmi, officers demanded ₦300,000 as “mobilisation fees.” Refusing to pay, the family took the matter to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Yaba, Lagos.
Despite this, progress was painfully slow. “Each time we went there, they kept postponing. We spent money and got no results,” the distraught father said.
Frustrated, Omowunmi filed a formal petition at the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan. Investigators later invited Oladimeji’s boss and colleagues for questioning. The bank, however, reportedly described him as a “contract staff” employed through HR Index, an outsourcing firm, and denied direct responsibility for his disappearance.
Family Alleges Cover-Up
A source close to the police investigation told reporters that SCID officers visited the bank on August 27, after management ignored initial invitations. During the visit, police allegedly found Oladimeji’s belongings—including his wallet, ID card, ATM cards, and a second phone—inside his office.
When officers returned on September 10, they reportedly found another of his bags, but the bank’s staff claimed not to know how it got there. The police also requested CCTV footage for the day he went missing, but it was allegedly withheld at the time.
A Wife’s Unshaken Faith
Omowunmi, married to Oladimeji for 13 years with two children aged 12 and 10, described the past weeks as the hardest of her life.
“I don’t wish this on anyone,” she said tearfully. “I believe my husband is still alive. My faith in God hasn’t wavered.”
Despite her exhaustion and weight loss, she remains hopeful. “Sometimes, I just want to call him to buy bread or tease me like he always did. But I keep believing that he will come home.”
She said her children’s strength keeps her going. “My little boy always says, ‘Mummy, eat. Tomorrow will be fine.’ That gives me courage.”
Silence from the Bank and Outsourcing Firm
Repeated attempts by journalists to get official responses from First Bank and HR Index were unsuccessful.
On October 17, Mr. Ismail Omamegbe, First Bank’s Corporate Communications Officer, acknowledged the inquiry and promised to respond—but never did.
When contacted again on October 22, Mr. Yinka Ijabiyi, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, confirmed that the response would come through Omamegbe, but by October 24, none had been received.
Calls placed to HR Index were also unanswered. However, Omowunmi confirmed that officials from the outsourcing firm visited her family on October 18, and one of them has been in contact since.
She also disclosed that the police later informed her that CCTV footage had been submitted by the bank—though it remains unclear whether it covers the day Oladimeji disappeared.
Still Waiting
In her sitting room, Omowunmi often gazes at her husband’s framed photo, whispering prayers that he will return. “I have never believed he is dead,” she said firmly. “I know he will come back home safe and sound.”
