By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The family of a 54-year-old Vice Principal of a secondary school in Ondo State, Olaloye Olatunde, has raised the alarm over his sudden disappearance after he checked into a hotel in Akure to attend a week-long training organised by Trace Project Akure and Charakids Foundation.
Olatunde was said to have checked into the hotel alongside dozens of other teachers attending the week-long training on Sunday, August 24, 2025, but suddenly disappeared while his clothes, shoes and travel bag remained untouched in his room.
Speaking on the disappearance of her husband, Mrs Adenike Olaloye explained that she maintained regular contact with him during the training until Wednesday, August 27, after which her repeated calls went unanswered.
According to her, “We spoke regularly until Wednesday. By Friday, his phone was no longer reachable. The seminar was supposed to end that day, but I never heard from him again.
“I was the one who arranged his bag before he travelled. That same bag was what they later found in his hotel room. Sadly, they had already packed it out without telling me.”
Also speaking on the incident, Olatunde’s elder brother, Mr Zacheus Olaloye, said he rushed to the hotel after his brother’s wife raised the alarm.
“The staff initially told me that all participants had checked out. But later I discovered that the bag they said was abandoned was my brother’s, with his clothes and shoes still inside,” he said.
Zacheus, a retired civil servant, lamented the difficulty the family encountered in accessing CCTV footage and said, “We tried to preview the footage, but nothing worked.
“Later, the management showed us a grainy video of a man walking out of the premises. But that wasn’t my brother. The figure wasn’t clear at all.”
He further expressed disappointment that neither the seminar organisers nor the hotel had formally contacted the family since Olatunde’s disappearance.
“The matter was reported at the Zone 17 AIG office before we were directed to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad. Yet, the hotel management has not called us, and the organisers have done nothing tangible to help us. We are the ones chasing everyone when they should be helping us,” he added.
Speaking on the matter, the hotel manager, Mr Kenneth Ekpeyong, said all participants were accounted for until Friday evening.
He explained that, “On August 24, about 49 participants arrived, later increasing to 58. On Friday, we organised an Asun Night for them as part of our hospitality package. Some left that night, while others checked out on Saturday.”
Also, a staff member, Mrs Oluwaseyi Adebayo, added that one of the seminar facilitators instructed the hotel to clear the belongings in Room 305, claiming the occupant had travelled to sign teachers’ salary vouchers.
She said CCTV footage captured Olatunde twice during his stay at the hotel and added, “We used our master card to open the room, packed the bag and documented it. Later, we were told it belonged to the vice principal.
“From our records, we saw him on Wednesday, and then again on Thursday morning, August 28, at exactly 6:17 a.m., when he walked out of the hotel and never returned. That was why the room was eventually opened.”
Meanwhile, detectives from the state police command have launched an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of the Vice Principal of Ipele Community High School, Owo, after confirming his attendance at the seminar in Akure.
The police confirmed that the personal belongings of the missing man were discovered inside his hotel room, where he lodged for the seminar after his disappearance.
The state police command spokesperson, Olayinka Ayanlade, said, “The command has launched an investigation into the mystery surrounding his disappearance.
“The command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the man’s sudden disappearance.
“We call on members of the public to provide any useful information that can assist us in unravelling the case.”
Ayanlade, however, assured members of the public that police detectives would unearth the mystery behind the disappearance of the Vice Principal.
Tribune Online