A member of the Commercial Tricyclists’ Association in Ile Epo area of Agbado-Oke Odo council development area, identified simply as Wale has on Friday, October 25, 2019, allegedly killed another chieftain of the association, Tunde Habeeb Oluwe.
Sources said the 40-year-old deceased who worked as a videographer before joining the association a few years ago was hit with a charm by Wale.
The incident took place at about 7.30pm during a scuffle between the duo penultimate Sunday at the residence of the chairman of the association, known as Akeweje.
Insiders claimed the chairman of the association might have been the target of the suspect, who is now in police custody.
According to sources who did not want their name in print, the deceased went out with other colleagues to a party at a joint along the Abule Egba-Agbelekale road and returned to the home of Akeweje around 7pm.
Oluwe then asked an unnamed person to get him some food at a nearby food vendor around the Old Ota road where the chairman’s house is located.
While he was waiting for the person he sent on errand to return, sources said Wale came around and insisted on seeing Akeweje who had by then retired to bed.
Oluwe was said to have told Wale to leave because the chairman was sleeping and his response infuriated the suspect who kicked the deceased with his shoe.
The situation degenerated into a scuffle after Oluwe retaliated during which the suspect brought out a poisonous charm and hit the deceased, who started gasping for breath and died minutes later.
A source, who spoke in confidence said: “The suspect hit Oluwe with a poisonous charm leading to his death. The deceased joined the association based on his closeness to the chairman of the association (Akeweje), who subsequently put him in charge of security of the park. His closeness to the chairman was the reason the suspect decided to punish him after he denied him access to the chairman.”
The matter was reported to the police at Oke Odo Division and Wale was arrested.
The body of the father of three has since been deposited at the mortuary, while his crestfallen wife, Adenike, has relocated to her mother’s residence in Alagbado.
Reliable sources also said that efforts were being made by the leadership of the transport association to sweep the matter under the carpet and secure Wale’s freedom.
Already, sources said some chieftains of the association who are close to the suspect have started weaving stories to give the impression that the suspect did not touch the late Oluwe.
“Wale is close to some top leaders of the association and they have started spreading fake stories about Wale not engaging the deceased in a fight. They are giving the impression that he slumped and died.
“We however strongly believe that Akeweje was the target of the suspect who insisted on seeing the chairman even when he had been told the man was in bed. He decided to set up a fatal fight with Oluwe in order to punish him for preventing him from seeing the chairman to carry out his dastard mission,” said a source who asked not to be mentioned.
Bala Elkana, the spokesman of Nigerian Police, said the suspect would be charged to court at the completion of investigation by the homicide unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID.
“The case was reported at Oke Odo Division, after preliminary investigation the case was transferred to SCID at Panti, Yaba, for discreet investigation.
“Homicide Section of SCID is investigating. The suspect will be charged to court for murder,” Elkana added.
