Mrs. Blessing Odion’s life turned upside down when her husband, Police Sergeant James Austin, vanished mysteriously in 2019. The disappearance occurred after Austin’s father’s burial in Okpohumi village, Afuze, Edo State.
Austin’s family and well-wishers had gathered for the somber ceremony on May 31, 2019. Blessing went to bed with her husband but woke up at 5 a.m. to find him gone. Despite searches, his whereabouts remain unknown.
Blessing, a mother of three, recounted her ordeal: “I was two months pregnant when my husband disappeared. Coping with the pregnancy was incredibly difficult. If not for my mother’s family, I don’t know what would have happened.”
The family faced severe hardship, including eviction and homelessness. Blessing found solace in her church community, which rallied around her. She now struggles to make ends meet, clearing bushes and selling vegetables.
Blessing reported her husband’s disappearance to the police in Afuze and later at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters. However, progress has been slow.
Her children, Divine (15), Augustine (11), and Testimony (4), help with menial jobs to support the family. Blessing tells Testimony that her father traveled to America, unable to explain the truth.
The family’s hope flickers, but Blessing holds on to love and memories of James. Her plea remains: “Where is my husband?”
