Richard Okorogheye: who is the missing 19-year-old student and when was he last seen?

Richard Okorogheye’s mum has pleaded for the public’s help after her son disappeared and was last pictured on a west London bus.

His mother Evidence Joel has since said that the Oxford Brookes student had spoken of “struggling to cope” with university pressures and had been shielding during lockdown.

Detectives have now released new images of the missing 19-year-old who was last seen on the night of March 22.

His mum said: “Richard we love you and miss you very much, please can you come home? We aren’t angry at you. We just want to know that you’re okay.

“For anyone reading this, we are desperately missing our son. If you know anything or know where he might be, please come forward and speak to the police.”

Richard’s disappearance happened before Evidence returned home from a nursing shift at around 9pm.

She assumed he was in his room and cooked him dinner but after knocking on his door, she discovered he wasn’t at home and he did not answer his phone.

The alarm was raised after a locksmith helped her gain entry to the room, where Richard left his wallet, bus pass and bank card behind.

Who is Richard Okorogheye?

Richard Okorogheye is a 19-year-old Oxford Brookes University student who lived at home with his parents in west London.

As someone with sickle cell disease, Mr Okorogheye would only leave the house to go to hospital for regular blood transfusions for his condition.

When was Richard Okorogheye last seen?

Mr Okorogheye is believed to have left his family home in the Ladbroke Grove area of west London on the evening of March 22 and was reported missing two days later.

The Met said the 19-year-old left his home and headed in the direction of Ladbroke Grove on March 22 at approximately 8.30pm.

The last confirmed sighting of Mr Okorogheye was when he was seen boarding the 23 southbound bus in Ladbroke Grove at 8.44pm.

CCTV footage showed the student wearing an all-black outfit and carrying across his lower back a black satchel-bag featuring a white Adidas logo.

Police said it was unknown at which stop Mr Okorogheye got off the bus, adding that he was known to frequent London’s Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham areas.

What have the police said?

Detective chief Inspector Nicki Beecher, from the Met’s Area West Public Protection Unit, said: “Our officers are continuing to work round-the-clock to locate Richard and bring him home to his worried family.

“We are keen to speak with anyone who may have been around Ladbroke Grove at the time of Richard’s last known sighting as captured above – you might be able to help us trace his next steps.

“If you may have seen Richard, please contact police, no detail is too insignificant.

“If Richard is safe and well, we ask him to contact us as a matter of urgency so that we can put his family’s minds at ease.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting 21MIS008134, or they can call 999 in an emergency.