According to Rotimi Akinde, father of the 20-year-old boy barber, Bidemi Akinde, the ASP popularly called Jagaban, attached to the Sango-Ota Police Area Command, Ogun state, led the touts, who are notorious for unlawful possession of parcels of land, to kill his son.
The Punch reports that the young man was reportedly shot dead in the Oke-Ore, Atan-Ota area of the state by one Segun said to be one of the hoodlums loyal to a certain Alhaji Owoeye.
The father of the deceased noted that his son was supposed to gain his ‘freedom’ from his master before the community was invaded around 10pm on Wednesday, August 19 and the young man was killed.
The culprits reportedly fled when they discovered that the late apprentice, who was coming from a canteen, dropped dead from one of the bullets from the gun of the hoodlum.
Some soldiers reportedly arrested Owoeye, who was later handed over to the police for proper prosecution.
Rotimi, father of the deceased, has now stated categorically that he wants justice on the matter and that ASP Afolabi and others allegedly involved in the killing of his son, duly prosecuted.
“It was Owoeye who hired the policemen, led by Supol Afolabi, from the Area Command to follow him and other land grabbers to our community. He is their chairman in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area.
“Afolabi had called a landlady because of the notice pasted on her house. It was shortly after then that people rushed to tell me that Bidemi had been shot dead. How can a police officer be leading thugs to victimise residents? Owoeye is not an indigene of our community.
“I learnt that he had been arraigned in court. I urge the state judiciary not to compromise. The officer and other land grabbers at large should also be brought to book,” he lamented.
Speaking also, mother of the deceased, identified as Sarah, urged police authorities and the government to ensure that justice was done in the case.
“Bidemi’s death has left a huge gap in my heart. He was obedient, gentle and respectful. He finished his secondary school education two years ago and had been disturbing me that he wanted to further his studies. I pleaded with him to complete his vocation first because we didn’t have the means yet.
“His boss certified him some months ago and we were already planning for his freedom when these heartless people killed him,” she noted.
The late Bidemi was described as a very hardworking and intelligent young man by his Olugbenga Omoleye.
According to Omoleye: “I am still battling with the fact that he is gone. I had left the shop under his care that morning and went to Owode with a friend. Soon after I got there, I learnt Owoeye and his boys had started their trouble again and I called him on the telephone to shut the shop and go home. A few minutes later, I was called that he was dead.”
Residents of the area told The Punch that the suspect and his accomplice had always used policemen to oppress them, with a landlord particularly stating that he saw the exact person who shot the young man.
“I was taking my son to an Islamic class that day when I saw them and policemen trooping into the community. We had to hide somewhere. It was Segun who shot that boy,” he revealed.
Reacting to the allegations, the Ogun state police spokesperson, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, denied Police involvement in the attack, explaining instead, that the police had escorted some bailiffs to the community to execute a court order.
“A man got a court order on some landed property. The police went with the bailiff to the community to serve; the court order. The policemen and the bailiffs had left the place before the hoodlums came. It is not true that policemen led the hoodlums there.
“The ASP was there officially to do what the law says he should do,” he stated.
Recall that some policemen reportedly beat a 50-year-old widow to death in Ondo state last week after an altercation between them.
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