Fashola Offers Reward For Missing Broadcaster

There is no information about ace presenter, Razaq Gawat, six days after he disappeared in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. Now Governor Babatunde Fashola has promised substantial reward to anyone who can come up with useful information about his whereabouts.

Gawat, 50, the Chief Executive Officer of Gawat Communications and anchorman of the NTA Channel 10 popular Ramadan Programme, “Edide E Ji Saari”, was declared missing Tuesday last week after a search party found his car abandoned at Apongbon with no trace of him.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA says it has recovered the vehicle driven by Gawat the day he disappeared at Eko Bridge.

On Sunday, Fashola appealed to Lagosians who have useful information regarding the where about of Television presenter, Gawat, to come forward with such an information to facilitate the current efforts by the police and the State Government to find him.

He said the success of any investigation by the police is based on information by the people, adding that anyone who brought any useful information that could lead to finding of the missing person would be substantially rewarded.

“I am optimistic that we will find him. I urge everybody to remain hopeful that we will find him. I know the police are working. They have some useful information that they are sharing with me. We are pursuing the leads, it may take time.

“We are checking every information. So, anybody who has any information that may lead us to him let us know. My number is 08034301122,” he stated.

Reiterating his call for useful information, Fashola, who also urged the people to remain calm, further assured, “I know that the Police are working hard at the leads that we have picked up. Everybody who has reason to believe that he (Gawat) could be here or there must help us. Call 767 or 112 emergency toll free numbers to inform the security agents.”

The General Manager, LASTMA, Babatunde Edu has explained the role played by the agency in the recovery of the abandoned vehicle of the missing television presenter, saying that a black 4 Runner Toyota SUV with registration plate number RE 77 AAA was discovered on the Eko Bridge inward Apongbon around 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday night by LASTMA officials led by the Zonal head, Mr. Akinpelu Ayuba.

He said this was while conducting safety checks on the bridge in order to ensure that no impediments were left unattended to on the bridge as a result of abandoned or broken down vehicle that could lead to traffic gridlock the next morning or causing serious accident for other road users.

Edu stated that the vehicle was parked very close to the kerb with no visible sign of hit from other motorist except that the hazard light of the vehicle was on and the four doors were locked.

He said the LASTMA officials thinking at the time that the unknown occupant(s) had run out of fuel and had gone to source for same or in dire need of assistance, waited for an hour before taking the vehicle away.

“On Wednesday, the base officer of the Zone Mrs. Ganiat Ijaoba while conducting routine checks on all impounded vehicles discovered through the side glass (as the doors were locked) that the passenger seat of the jeep had some religious stuffs such as Qurans, Islamic materials, documents and complementary cards that had Gawat Communications written on them scattered on it. A distant relative of Gawat who is also an official of the agency and familiar with the vehicle contacted the family,” he explained.

The LASTMA boss added that the presenter’s wife Mrs. Fatimat Gawat and three other men came to the zone and were later joined by the Nigeria Police led by the Divisional Police Officer of Adeniji Central Police Station, Lagos Island, Lagos, Monday Agbonnika around 2:00 pm on Wednesday.

“On their arrival, a spare key was brought out in the presence of LASTMA officials with an attempt to open the SUV, after several unsuccessful attempts. The first son of the victim, Jubril Gawat invited a panel beater who forcefully opened the car doors in the presence of his mother, officials and relatives.

“After the doors were opened, Gawat entered the jeep to source for some documents which were observed to be missing together with his phone. Several unsuccessful calls were made to the victim’s phone while at the zone,” he added.

He expressed the readiness of the agency to cooperative with the police in solving the riddle surrounding the disappearance of the popular anchor man.

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/07/16/fashola-offers-reward-for-missing-broadcaster/