'My brother has gone missing since our cousin facilitated his relocation to Belgium eight years ago'

• Published date: 21 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

A cousin of mine, Doris Usiagwu, who is based in Belgium, had helped my elder brother, Anthony Isabor, and her niece, Peace Usiagwu, as well as one another girl whose name I don't know to relocate to Belgium for the purpose of starting a new life. She facilitated the processes for their visas and also paid their flight tickets.

But my brother has remained incommunicado since he left the shores of this country in March 2015. He only called our mum with a strange number when they arrived in Belgium on March 5, 2015. Doris also called my mum the day my brother and Peace arrived in Belgium, saying that she was in London but was aware of their arrival. She said she was at her elder brother's place and would be going back to Belgium to join them.

She said then that the males and females among them would be going to different sections to work. But after saying that, my brother has remained incommunicado and Doris has never called my mum since then.

Has Doris come to Nigeria since then?

She has come to Nigeria twice. The first time, it was my mother who saw her at home and confronted her about the whereabouts of Anthony. My mother reminded her that Peace was doing fine while her son remained incommunicado. Doris could not give my mother a positive answer, and this has been the situation for many years.

If you try to call her to ask about the whereabouts of my brother, she will start dribbling you. After the conversation, she will programme our number and block us from accessing her. This has been happening since 2015. We have done everything humanly possible to speak to my brother but it has been unsuccessful. When we call Doris to ask for my brother, she does not give us an answer.

Did Doris give any conditions before sponsoring Anthony's journey?

She didn't. I am unaware of any written or verbal agreement with my brother or his family before they left for Belgium. She said she wanted to help uplift and empower them Anthony and the others. She didn't mention anything about us paying back.

My brother studied Accounting at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Some people had approached me to join some people to go to Europe, but this time, by sea. I turned it down because I saw the way people are dying over there. One of my cousins was among the people that died on one of those journeys. My dad had just died during that period. So, I know how this journey is. My brother travelled by air and she (Doris) paid for the flight and everything.

When Doris came to...