Family, friends, sympathisers, human right activists and lawyers on Wednesday mourned Abiodun Ademola, who was allegedly killed by a Divisional Police Officer, Segun Fabunmi, at Yaya Abatan Junction in Ogba, Lagos on Monday.
During the solidarity and mourning rally, Moses Daramola, who brought Ademola to Lagos, narrated how he came in contact with the slain young man.
He said, �Ademola is like a younger brother to me, I have known him since he was 20 years old. I brought him from Ilesha, Osun State in 2006, to work as a fashion designer. Then, he was an apprentice in my father�s shop, and during that time I always encouraged him to be serious and well behaved. I also assured him that after his training, I will bring him to Lagos.
�And I fulfilled my promise by bringing him to Lagos. Now, death caused by a mischievous police officer has robbed me of my labour.�
He also said there was no amount of compensation the government could give that would be enough.
Daramola added, �The government should just do whatever will favour his parents because there is no amount of money that can restore his life. His father is very old. He depended on Ademola.
One of the deceased�s relations, Mr. Adebayo Abiodun, said his death was so painful to the entire family.
�I felt so bad when I heard the incident, but there was nothing I could do. Our aged father and the entire members of our family are in deep sorrow in Ilesha. One cannot be happy to have brought a child to that level, only for him to be killed by a trigger-happy police officer,� Abiodun said.
Meanwhile, members of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja branch, has said they will ensure that justice is done.
President of the NBA, Adebamigbe Omole, said, �We have decided to ask for a coroner�s inquest to take the issue out of the jurisdiction of the police. We assure you that we will follow the case to conclusion to ensure that justice is done.
�We are voluntarily going to follow the case professionally, but cases are won by evidence and not with the words of mouth.�
He urged eyewitnesses to come forward and testify when the inquest begins.
A representative of youths in the area, Mr. Raji Rasheed, said the event was very saddening and urged Nigerians to assist the family of the deceased.
�We want justice to be done in this case. It should not be swept under the carpet. It is painful that neither the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, nor the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Yakubu Alkali, has come to sympathise with us,� Rasheed said.
He said the black attire worn by some of the youth was to mourn the deceased, adding that this would be done annually to celebrate Ademola.
A close friend of the deceased, Tunmilara Olaniyi, said, �We have been friends from childhood at Ilesha before he was taken away by this unfortunate and sudden death. I will miss him so much.
�Recently, I went to have a funeral of my grandmother. Ademola bought the Aso ebi (family uniform); he had even sown it not knowing that death is on his way. We are supposed to have travelled if not for the strike. In fact, he just came back from Ilesha where he went to celebrate the new year with his parents.�
2012-01-12
THE PUNCH Newspaper- Sodiq Oyeleke
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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