Prominent academic and former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Dipo Fasina, has been found in Turkey.
The President of ASUU, Prof Emnanuel Osodeke had confirmed that the union was aware of t that Fashina was declared missing in July 1.
The popular don fondly referred to as Jingo was said to be traveling to Algeria on the invitation of the government but missed his connecting flight from Instanbul, Turkey.
However, amidst growing concern about his whereabouts, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in conjunction with Nigeria High Commission in Turkey located him.
NiDCOM which issued the reassuring statement on Sunday thanked the Nigerian Ambassador to Turkey who made efforts to locate the missing don physically.
“The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Turkey, has successfully located Prof Fasina, who went missing for a few days at Istanbul Airport while connecting on a flight back home.”
“Mr Fasina, 76, was travelling to Algeria when he was said to have missed his connecting flight from Istanbul, Turkey.
“A big thanks to the Nigerian Ambassador to Turkey who immediately sent officials to the Airport to physically locate him in the very busy and huge Istanbul Airport,” NiDCOM said.
Meanwhile a former Gen Secretary of the Nigerian Labour Congress and prominent columnist, Mr Owei Lakemfa, has said that the former ASUU leader was never missing.
He said that the Prof Fashina whose whereabouts was known could not be said to be missing.
“A bit of clarification is necessary on former ASUU President,Dr Dipo Fashina.
“A person whose whereabout we knew, could not have been missing.
“Dr Fashina travelled on Sat July 1, 2023 on the invitation of the Algerian Government.
“He missed the connecting flight on Sunday July 2 to Algiers from the Istanbul Airport. He tried to get another connecting flight but was unsuccessful.
“On Tuesday July 4, he lost his phone and could subsequently not be reached directly.
“The next day, Wednesday, July 5, a Nigerian Ambassador was with him, but efforts to get a ticket reissue or a new ticket, failed because the flight was full.
“His original return date to Abuja was Friday July 7, 2023. But for yet unclear reasons which may include the fact that he did not complete the first leg of his journey and his ticket was issued by Air Algiers and not directly by the Turkish Airlines, he could not get on the flight.
“Once he was not on that Friday night flight, his family, ASUU and comrades took immediate steps including to send somebody to Istanbul, contacting the Diaspora Commission and the Nigerian Embassy in Turkey which immediately despatched an official on Sunday morning to link up with Dr. Fashina and secured a Monday July 10, 2023 flight for him.” He said
