Last Thursday, 40-year-old Ayokunle Oluwagbemiga Ojo, an auditor with the Bank of Industry (BOI), Marina, Lagos, dressed himself in blue suit and shirt to match. He was ready for his usual daily trip to his office.
After the day’s work, he had on his schedule, an official trip to Badagry and a training in Ghana at the week end.
At 5.50 am, he stepped out of his Galilee Avenue, Eliot, Iju Ishaga home, leaving his wife, Omolara to prepare their three sons for school. He had promised to call and furnish his wife with information regarding the Badagry trip. Sadly, all that never happened.
“That was the last I heard of him. I was still taking care of the children when I heard gunshots, at exactly 6.02 am. I didn’t imagine my husband would be affected because he left just ten minutes earlier. Later, I heard knocks on our door,” Omolara recounted yesterday, sobbing.
The visitors came with terrifying news that sent her off-balance: Her husband had been shot by some unknown assailants – about 30 meters from their home!
Eyewitnesses, it was learnt, later recounted what led to Ayokunle’s shooting to his elder sister, Deaconess Nike Olajusi.
According to them, when he stepped out of his house, some unidentified men in black coat accosted him. The men reportedly demanded his laptop and he replied that he left it in his office the previous night. Then, they asked for his bag, and the Ikere-Ekiti-born Ayokunle wondered why they needed his bag.
“Then, the men, I was told, threatened to kill him. They encircled him. They were said to have shouted a name – ‘Mopol’ – and a man came out of hiding and shot into the air to scare away passersby. Then, Ayokunle was shot in the head and the men escaped with his bag and mobile phone set,” Deaconess Olajusi said.
The Nation learnt that immediately after he was shot, some sympathisers summoned the courage to ascertain what was happening. A community leader saw him in a pool of blood and raised the alarm. The police were called. A police team led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ajimuda Olatunji, hit the scene. Already unconscious, Ayokunle was taken to Ancillary Hospital, Iju, where he was pronounced dead.
Deaconess Olajusi, who said she was alerted with a phone call by a relative, explained: “When I got to his house, where I was told they needed me at the hospital. I was shocked. At the hospital, I discovered he was shot in the head; there was so much blood on him.”
Yesterday, his neighbours at the Galilee Avenue were still in shock. For the fact that the area had been crime-free in recent times, many believed it was an assassination. “This is not an ordinary robbery; this hired killing,” a resident said.
His widow said her husband handled a debt recovery for his bank that week, leading to the arrest and detention of certain persons. The late Ayokunle was said to have expressed worries about the case.
“My husband did not fight with anyone. Before he left, he promised to notify me if he would be going to Badagry that day. He was always very helpful; no one could ever say anything bad about him,” she said.
However, a source at the Iju Police Station (Red House) said the police were working on several theories with a view to unraveling his killers.
“This is unusual, but we won’t leave any stone unturned. We cannot conclude about the motive yet, but we are working on several theories. I can confirm to you that the crime rate here has greatly reduced due to our zero tolerance stance on crimes. And when we have isolated cases like this, we will get to their bottom,” the source told reporters.
The deceased was said to have moved into his own house last December, while he became an Assistant Manager at the BOI earlier this year. “We don’t understand what could have caused this; his colleagues have been coming here. We are not certain if it has to do with his work,” a relative said.
Meanwhile, residents and associates are mourning the murder of the “peaceful and generous man.” Yesterday, prayer warriors from the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) held fervent prayers against his killers. His widow sat in sobriety, her eyes half-closed. Their three children – aged 10, 6 and 4 years – seemed unaware of what had befallen them.
A resident, Rasheed Moshood, a commercial motorcycle rider, told newsmen “The man (Ayokunle) was good. He would always give me money anytime I had an opportunity to carry him. His killers must be found. They won’t rest until they are caught and brought to justice.”
“His killers went away with his phone. We called it that day; nobody responded. Later that night, it went dead,” Omolara said. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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The Killer will not rest until they are caught.
ReplyDeleteThey should go through d list of the Debt recovery cases he handled before his death!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteVery sad
ReplyDelete