Sayo Akinyemi,
24, was an apprentice in an aluminum-smelting workshop at Oke-Ado area
of Ibadan. His target was to raise money to fund his education. As the
only male child out of the three children in his family, his parents had
also been looking forward to a time they would enjoy the fruit of their
labour. But that hope would never materialise, as Sayo was killed
recently by a land speculator for defecating on the latter’s family land
in the area. The incident happened on Wednesday March 4.
The deceased had, on the fateful day, gone to the premises of Methodist
Grammar School, Oke-Ado, to defecate.
That was where he
allegedly met his untimely death in the hands of one Olabode (other
name withheld), a land speculator in the area. Olabode, had reportedly
accosted Sayo and asked him to pay for using the school land as a
toilet, a demand the latter reportedly rebuffed, arguing that the land
in question was owned by the government. The argument resulted in a
fight in which the late Sayo overpowered and defeated his challenger.
But Olabode reportedly rushed from the scene to get a screwdriver with
which he allegedly stabbed Sayo in the waist.
Sayo was
immediately rushed to two different hospitals before he was admitted at
the Catholic Hospital, Eleta in Ibadan. He, however, died before he
could be treated. An eyewitness told this reporter that he was with the
deceased on the fateful day, and would have stopped him from going to
defecate at the contentious spot, saying: “I know there is a woman, who
always insisted that nobody should ease himself in the school.” He said
he was still reading a newspaper when somebody came to inform him that
Sayo was fighting with a man.
“But just before
I stood from where I was, another person came to inform us that he had
been stabbed. When I rushed there I discovered that Segun was being
beaten by some people while I rushed to take Sayo to the hospital.”
Olabode was taken to the state Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) at
Dugbe area but when it was confirmed that Sayo had died, the suspect was
transferred to the Central Police Station at Iyaganku. At Iyaganku, the
suspect was said to have denied killing Sayo. He, however, admitted
that they fought.
He was said to
have told the police that the deceased might have fatally injured
himself after he fell down on a sharp object in the course of the fight.
He claimed to have been with a friend, called Tunde, inside the school
when they saw Sayo and asked where he was coming from. He said the
deceased turned the simple question into a fight. The State Police
Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Olabisi Okuwobi, a Deputy
Superintendent of Police, while confirming the incident, said Olabode
would soon be charged to court for murder by the state police command
