A 13-year-old boy, Ezekiel Emmanuel, who served as a bar attendant in one Golden Fingers Bar in Ogun state has finally died on Sunday, February 15, 2015 after he was allegedly set ablaze by his boss, Mr. Bidemi Shittu, for stealing N1, 500.
This development is coming barely one week after his boss poured petrol on him and set him on fire in the Akoka, Ibafo area of Ogun State.
It could be recalled that the suspect has been on the run ever since he committed the unruly act and has been on the trail of the police operatives of the Ogun state command who are making efforts to hunt him down.
After the tragic incident which occurred around 11:30pm on Monday, February 9, 2015 the poor victim was rescued by residents and rushed to a nearby private hospital and was referred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH due to the severity of the case.
It was also learnt that about four hospitals rejected the victim until he was taken to LASUTH.
The victim’s uncle, Mr. Toyin Olayemi, who spoke exclusively with Punch said the police told the family members, who had not been allowed to see the boy in the hospital, that he he died in the wee hours of the aforementioned day.
He said, “The Ibafo Divisional Police Officer called me on the phone on Sunday that the family should come to the station. It was there that we were told the shocking news of Emmanuel’s demise. He died on Sunday morning. He did not survive the burns.
“On Saturday, his father and I were at the hospital. The doctors and nurses initially prevented us from seeing him, but when the father wanted to make trouble, they let him in for a few minutes.
“Emmanuel’s condition was critical. He was burned from the head to the abdomen. Unfortunately, the suspect’s father, Pa Shittu, whose wife was with Emmanuel in the hospital, lied to us that our son’s condition was improving, but it was not.”
But for the intervention of the police, a group of raging youths who heard about the tragic death of the victim would have razed the bar.
In addition to the already sealed off bar, the police went ahead to also shut down a hotel beside the bar said to belong to the fleeing suspect’s father.
The corpse of the deceased bar attendant who was also an apprentice at a generator repairs workshop has been deposited at LASUTH morgue.
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said, “The boy died on Sunday, around 6am.”
