Two lecturers from the University of Cross River (UNICROSS), Engr. Emmanuel Odu and Engr. Vincent Ndifon, have been missing for nearly two months, with no trace of their whereabouts. Both men, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, were last seen on Friday, May 23, 2025, around Imo State while returning to Calabar from Lagos, where they had traveled to purchase a car. The university’s management confirmed the disappearance and has since been in ongoing communication with the Cross River State Commissioner of Police and the DSS, who are said to be collaborating with security agencies in Imo State on the matter.
According to a circular signed by the institution’s Registrar, Victor Ephraim Ene, despite security efforts, no progress has been made in locating the missing lecturers, and there has been no word from them or any indication of their situation. The incident has left the academic community and their families in deep distress. Both men are 32 years old, studied the same course, and have been close friends since childhood, which adds a painful twist to their joint disappearance.
Speaking on behalf of the family, a relative of Emmanuel Odu expressed anguish over the prolonged silence, noting the heavy toll it has taken on everyone involved. “All efforts to locate them have yielded no results, as there has been no contact from their abductors. It has been almost two months without them, with devastating mental, emotional, and physical consequences for their families,” he said. He further explained that Odu is the only son of his parents, while Ndifon is a young father with a baby, and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the Inspector General of Police to deploy a search-and-rescue team for their immediate recovery.
