Mrs Gift Oti, a businesswoman based in Enugu State, speaks to TEMITOPE ADETUNJI about the disappearance of her husband, Emmanuel Oti, who was taken away by unidentified men from Abuja hotel in March, and the emotional and financial toll on her young family, as well as their ongoing search for answers
What do you do for a living?
I am a businesswoman based in Enugu State. I am married with two children, and I run my business while also taking care of my family responsibilities.
Can you explain what happened the day your husband went missing?
My husband was taken from the hotel where he was lodging in Abuja. He arrived in Abuja on March 30, 2026, but went missing on March 31.
He had travelled from Enugu to Abuja to assist a friend in filing a petition with the FID over a land dispute; the friend is based abroad.
So, my husband travelled to Abuja to assist with the petition. He successfully wrote and submitted it on the same day he arrived, which was March 30.
After completing the task, he returned to the hotel where he was staying. According to what we were told, some armed men entered the hotel and identified themselves as officers from the NSA.
After a lengthy conversation with the receptionist, they were granted access to his room and were reportedly led there by hotel staff.
According to the CCTV footage, my husband was taken out of the hotel, forced into their vehicle, and driven away.
Till now, we still do not fully understand what happened or why it happened.
According to the CCTV footage, they were dressed in mufti, while my husband was wearing a green senator outfit with a cream cap.
What does your husband do for a living?
My husband is a businessman.
How long have you been married to your husband?
We have been married for 10 years now, and we have two kids together.
The hotel staff told you those men who came to arrest him were from the NSA. Did you confirm this at the NSA’s office?
We went to the NSA’s office ourselves, and they denied having him in their custody. They said they did not arrest him and have no record of him.
So, we are left completely confused. We don’t know who took him, where they came from, or why he was taken away.
Did anyone contact you after he was taken away?
Not at all. Since March 31 until this moment, not a single person has contacted us. We have also tried my husband’s phone, but it has not been reachable.
It is both scary and worrisome. We have tried calling his phone repeatedly, but it does not go through. It does not even ring at all; sometimes it says “not reachable.”
That silence is what hurts the most, because when there is no information, your mind begins to imagine the worst.
How did you first hear about his disappearance?
It was one of his friends who called me. At first, I didn’t understand what he was saying. I kept asking him to repeat himself because it sounded unbelievable.
He said my husband had been taken away from the hotel. After that call, everything in my life changed instantly.
I felt like the ground had been removed from under my feet. I could not think. I could not eat. I could not even speak properly for hours.
Where in Abuja did the incident happen?
It happened at 20 Lingu Crescent, off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2.
Do you suspect anyone close to him might be involved?
I don’t want to accuse anyone because I have no proof. But there is confusion.
Have you reported the case to the police?
Yes, we have reported the matter to the police and also visited other relevant offices, but nothing has been done so far.
They kept telling us to wait and that they were investigating, but there is no progress, no update, no answers, just silence. Sometimes it feels like we are chasing shadows.
What kind of person is your husband?
My husband is a kind, hardworking, and family-oriented man. He believes in peace, in working honestly, and in taking care of his family quietly without attracting unnecessary attention.
He is the type of man who carries responsibility without complaining. As a husband and father, he has always tried his best to provide for us and make sure the home is stable.
Even in difficult times, he remains focused and does not easily get involved in conflict or trouble. To me and my children, he is not just a provider; he is our strength.
He is the person who brings balance to our home. That is why his disappearance has left such a painful emptiness, because he is not someone who would just walk away or disappear without reason.
His family continues to seek answers amid growing emotional and financial distress. We have spent so much money, and the police are just taking money from us.
There was a mention of CCTV footage. What do you know about that?
Yes, there is CCTV footage from the hotel. It showed men coming to take him away. Some of their faces are visible in the camera. That footage has been shared online by different people.
But despite that, nothing has been done. No arrests, no official explanation; nothing. That is very painful, because when you see something clearly and still nothing happens, you begin to lose faith in everything.
How has this situation affected you and your family emotionally?
It has affected me deeply. I am not the same person anymore. My children are also affected. At some point, they became ill because of the stress. They could not go to school properly for weeks.
As for me, I feel like I am living, but not really living. I already feel like I am no longer normal, like I am losing my mind.
Some nights, I hardly sleep at all. I just sit down and think: where is my husband? Is he safe? Is he suffering somewhere?
That uncertainty is worse than anything I have ever experienced. Sometimes, I feel like my mind is slowly breaking, but I still have to stay strong for my children.
How do you feel about the response from authorities?
I feel abandoned. I feel like nobody is taking this seriously. We keep going back and forth, but nothing changes.
Sometimes, I feel like they are just tired of hearing from us. But how do we stop when we do not even know my husband’s whereabouts?
It is unbearable. At least, if anyone told us, “This is what he did, this is where he is, and this is why he was taken away,” our minds would be at rest.
But there has been no explanation, and nobody has reached out to us about his whereabouts. It is depressing.
What do you believe happened?
I don’t know what to believe anymore. All I want is the truth. If he did something wrong, we deserve to know. If he is being held somewhere, we, the family, should be told, and not left in the dark. The silence is what is killing me slowly.
What kind of help do you need?
I just want my husband back. That is all I want, nothing more, nothing less. I am pleading from the deepest part of my heart with anyone who knows where he is or what happened to him to please speak up.
Even the smallest piece of truth matters at this point. This silence is tearing my family apart in ways words cannot explain.
My children are suffering. They ask me every day where their father is, and I have no answers for them. How do you comfort children when you yourself are living in uncertainty? How do you tell them that someone they love simply vanished and nobody can explain why or where?
I feel like my life has stopped. I am not whole without him. We were building a life together, and in one moment, everything was taken away. What we had as a family has been broken, and I do not even know how to begin repairing it.
Right now, nothing is stable anymore, emotionally, financially, or mentally. I am holding on for my children, but every day feels like I am sinking a little deeper into something I cannot escape.
I am no longer just asking; I am begging. If anyone has information, please come forward. We do not need rumours or assumptions. We just need the truth, and above all, we need him back.
Please, I am begging from the bottom of my heart. If my husband is being held somewhere, please let him be released. If there is any issue or allegation, let us be told clearly so we can face it properly.
But this silence, this complete absence of communication, is something no family should ever endure.
Two months of not knowing is not just painful; it is a kind of suffering that eats away at the soul. Every passing day brings no answers, only more fear.
This uncertainty is what is breaking us completely. All I am asking now is simple: please, let my family be whole again. Despite CCTV evidence and multiple reports, his whereabouts remain unknown, and no official agency has confirmed keeping him in custody.
