Mr Tunde Bakare, father of 22-year-old tailor Abdulmalik, who was allegedly killed by suspected cultists during a violent attack in Oreta, Ikorodu, Lagos State, speaks with DANIEL AYANTOYE about the tragic loss of his son, the impact of the incident on his family, his quest for justice, and the need for stronger government action to curb recurring cult-related violence in the community
Your
son was recently killed by suspected cultists. How did it happen?
Around
12 noon last Wednesday, a truck carrying a container arrived in the Ajebo area
of Ikorodu. Some boys in the area demanded land money from the driver, but they
were told that boys from Oreta had already collected the money for the
container.
One of
the boys who climbed the trailer fell, and he was run over. He died instantly.
Later,
around 3 pm, I saw a crowd enter our area in Oreta. I was sitting outside my
wife’s shop when I saw them. One of them was shouting, “We will kill all of you
in Oreta today.”
I
thought it was one of those usual threats, so I left when a job came up.
Around
6 pm, I called my son and he told me he was at home. I asked him to go and help
his mother at the shop, which he did. By the time I returned, I was exhausted,
so I went home and slept.
Around
8 pm, the cultists stormed our area and started shooting indiscriminately. They
killed one person along the road and a disabled man outside my wife’s shop.
They then entered the shop and shot my son dead.
My
wife had stepped out to relieve herself, but by the time she returned, they had
already shot him. She was then shot in the leg. Fortunately, their ammunition
ran out at that point, which saved her from being killed.
How is
your wife doing now?
She
has received treatment and is recovering, but she has been crying constantly
because she witnessed the death of her son. Many people have been trying to
console her. She has to accept what has happened, and so do I.
When
they asked me to go and identify my son’s body at the hospital, I refused. It
is too traumatic for a parent to see the corpse of their own child. I asked a
relative to handle it for me. I cannot bring myself to look at my son’s body.
Was
your son connected to them in any way that made them target your shop?
No. My
son did not know them, and we had nothing to do with them.
It was
a man called Wasiu who invited the cultists into the area, and they started
attacking anyone they saw. The boys from Ajebo were fighting over land-related
issues and the money collected from trucks.
My son
had nothing to do with any of them. He hardly went out. It was only that
evening that he went to assist his mother at the shop. They were preparing to
close when the attackers struck.
Where
were you when it happened?
I was
at home. When I returned from work, I was very tired and fell asleep. I was
later woken up by noise and people banging on my gate. That was when I heard
that my son had been killed.
They
destroyed several shops in the area, including my wife’s shop. She sells soft
drinks and other items. There was blood everywhere inside the shop. After it
was cleaned, spent bullet shells were found scattered all over the place.
What
is your occupation?
I am a
businessman. I sell granite.
How
many people carried out the attack?
Some
of them arrived on five motorcycles, while others came in a tricycle. They
appeared determined to kill anyone they could find, but many residents fled.
Witnesses said the attackers were calling out the name “Ayana.”
What
have the police done since the incident?
After
the attack, my son’s body was taken to the mortuary at Ikorodu General
Hospital, and the police launched an investigation. They have arrested six
people so far, and the Divisional Police Officer promised a thorough
investigation. The case has now been transferred to Panti.
Earlier
that same day, after the boy was killed by the truck, the police came to our
area with some of the boys involved. One of them openly said, “We are coming
back tonight to kill you, people.” I even saw one of those boys being brought
to the station that afternoon.
Are
you sure those arrested were responsible for the attack?
The
police are still interrogating them. Their findings will determine that.
Has
your son’s body been released to you?
No.
Not yet.
What
reason were you given for the delay?
They
said the body is being held for investigation. They want to conduct an autopsy
and complete the process of charging and arraigning those arrested.
What
do you want from this case?
I just
want my son to be buried.
Don’t
you want justice?
Yes, I
want justice. You cannot kill someone and simply walk free in a society
governed by laws. Every action has consequences.
The
police told me that even if I decide not to pursue the case, they will continue
with it and ensure justice is served. They said the matter is no longer just my
concern but the government’s responsibility. Still, I want my son buried.
What
is your community saying about the incident?
People
have been visiting me constantly since it happened. Almost the entire community
has come to see me.
What
are they asking for?
They
are pleading with me to allow the matter to be resolved amicably. They claim
Wasiu knew nothing about the attack.
I
reminded them that Wasiu himself reportedly said that his apprentice, the boy
who was killed by the truck, had been killed and that others would follow.
People who recorded him saying that confirmed it.
They
later told me that he spoke in anger and didn’t mean what he said. I told them
that he had already been arrested and was at Panti. The matter is no longer in
my hands.
Tell
us about your late son.
He was
a calm and easy-going young man. He never liked troubling anyone.
He sat
for the last UTME and scored 200. He wanted to attend a school in Ijebu-Ode,
but when he got there, he discovered he did not have Economics, which was
required for the Business Administration programme he wanted to study.
I paid
N70,000 for him to register for another NECO so he could make up for the
subject. He was waiting to write it.
Before
leaving secondary school, he had learned tailoring because he planned to travel
to Germany someday. While preparing for further studies, he continued working
as a tailor. As a result, he was rarely at home. Even on the day he was killed,
he had spent most of the day away.
His
mother and I were also preparing for our Nikkah (Islamic marriage ceremony),
which was scheduled for the following Sunday. He had been busy sewing clothes
for his siblings. He came home, and then this tragedy happened.
Culled from the Punch
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