Mother of three in double jeopardy
A mother of three sons in the Alagbado suburb of Lagos State has lamented the death of his son at the hands of his brother during a scuffle. She urged
A mother of three sons in the Alagbado suburb of Lagos State has lamented the death of his son at the hands of his brother during a scuffle. She urged the police to cease action on the fleeing son who is the culprit , reports KUNLE AKINRINADE.
• Mourns 19-year-old son stabbed dead by 21-year-old elder brother
• Grieves over disappearance of culprit son hunted by police
Funke Ojo has become a shadow of herself since death sneaked into her family and stole her once spritely mien at her residence on Abatan Street, Alagbado, on the outskirts of Lagos.
On the fateful day, Funke, a mother of three boys and a petty trader, was set to run some chores and prepare for the day’s business with when two of her sons, Michael and Opeyemi, launched into an altercation that took a fatal turn minutes later.
Opeyemi, a 19-year-old artisan, who stood outside the entrance to their residence, had asked his 21-year-old brother, Michael, to bring his shirt to him from their room but he declined setting off a bloody confrontation that led to Michael’s death.
“We woke up normally on January 14 without any premonition that grief was lurking in the corner,” said the bereaved mother of three.
“I was sitting down outside and trying to figure out my schedule for the day around 2pm when Opeyemi and Michael launched into an argument.
“Although they are fond of engaging in fighting and needless altercations, the fight they had this time around took a fatal dimension.
“As I was seated outside, Opeyemi who was wearing a trouser and singlet called Michael, who was in the room, to help bring his shirt, but Michael refused.
“Opeyemi was angry that Michael refused to help him bring his shirt from the room and he went to the room to start a quarrel with him.
“In the middle of the altercation, Michael and Opeyemi went physical and were locked in a fight.’’
While the two siblings were engaged in the fight, their mother shouted for help in the neighbourhood but no one showed up to mediate. She tried to separate them but she was hit by the warring duo.
“I raised the alarm when Opeyemi and Michael started a physical combat, but there was no help from anyone around the neighbourhood.
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“It was apparent that people did not want to intervene because they were known for fighting each other all the time over flimsy issues.
“When I summoned courage to separate them, they both push me, I landed my hefty frame on the floor and I couldn’t get up in time because of my bad leg.
“It was while I was on the floor that Michael rushed out of the room to the backyard and brought a machete which he used to attack Opeyemi on his head, shoulder and back.
“Opeyemi’s machete cuts were dripping blood and he too rushed outside, picked up a broken bottle and use the jagged edge to attack Michael, cutting his genitals area.’’
Funke, a native of Okitipupa, Ondo State, said further that Michael landed in a pool of blood on the floor and it took the help of a commercial tricycle operator to ferry him to a private hospital in Ojokoro area of Alagbado.
“Michael’s blood sprayed the floor, and he was lying helplessly until I got the assistance of a commercial tricycle operator to take him to Ahamdiyya Hospital in Ojokoro, from where he was transferred to the Orile Agege General Hospital around 4.30pm.
“The hospital, however, said their doctors were on strike and that my son would have to be transferred to a public health facility in Ojokoro for proper medical treatment to save his life.’’
Michael, however, gave up the ghost on their way to the health centre.
“While his body was bloodied, Michael asked me for cold water as I held his head close to my chest, but I refused to give him water.
“Sadly, he died while we were on our way to the health centre he was transferred to.
“As I speak, Opeyemi is nowhere to be found, and I cannot even say he is alive since he too suffered brutal machete cuts from Michael during the fight.”
The distraught woman said she did not want the police to take any further action on the issue.
She said: “I have three sons: Emmanuel, Micheal and Opeyemi. My eldest son, Emmanuel, is currently sick and mentally unstable. I have lost Michael in a bloody fight with Opeyemi. Now, Opeyemi has fled and I don’t even know his whereabouts. I don’t want to lose him too, hence my decision to leave everything to God.
“I know that my enemies are behind this matter and I have been praying to God to touch my sons’ hearts to desist from their quarrelsome nature for more than 15 years since the bad blood between them started.
“However, my enemies got me this time around and they have used my last born to kill my second son.
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“I lost my husband, their father, three years ago, and my health is waning as I struggle with bad legs. If Opeyemi is prosecuted and sentenced to death for killing his brother, I would lose the essence of my existence in this life, because he is the only one I could point to as my child at the moment.
“His elder brother is battling with ill-health arising from consumption of drugs. Please, help me tell the police to cease action on the case so as not to worsen my pathetic case.’’
Our correspondent learnt that men of the Alakuko Police Division visited the scene and took Michael’s body to the mortuary pending further investigation on the incident.
A cross section of residents who said they were used fights between Opeyemi and Michael however expressed shock at the fatal turn of their incessant fights.
A resident, Akeem Ishola, said: “We know Michael and Opeyemi for their constant open altercation and fights. It was the reason no one showed up to separate them when they started their latest fight that turned tragic.
“I was not at home, but I heard that Michael attacked Opeyemi following a disagreement and that neighbours did not show up to separate them because they thought that it was just their usual fights.
“Opeyemi, in particular, has bad temper. He fights with people in the community for flimsy reasons.
“Two days before the tragic fight, Opeyemi accompanied some boys to the Toll Gate area of Ota where he fought some people and sustained machete cuts on his back.
“He was still nursing the wound from the fight when he had the bloody fight with his brother, Michael, killing him with a broken bottle.
“We are sad that Michael died, because he was a quiet young man who could greet you as many times as he sees you in a day.
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“He trained as a mechanic, but he abandoned the job shortly after his father died in 2023.’’
Speaking on the incident, a community leader and activist, who asked not to be named, described Michael’s death as disturbing. He said he was one of the people who went to the scene of the bloody fight but met Michael lying in a pool of blood.
“Michael was unassuming. Hence, when I heard that he was attacked by his brother and that blood was gushing out of his body as result of the machete cuts, I quickly mobilised my men to the scene.
“When we got there, we met Michael in a pool of his blood gasping for breath with the cloth wrapped around his ruptured genitals area soaked in blood.
“He was immediately taken to a private hospital which could not handle his case and thereafter moved to a public hospital.
“He, however, died inside a keke (commercial tricycle) on the way to the hospital.
“Opeyemi has since bolted, but we have vowed that he will be smoked out and handed over to the police for prosecution.
“He cannot return to this community because he is a blood thirsty youth who indulges in vices like selling hard drugs.’’
The spokesperson of the Lagos Police Command, Ms Abimbola Adebisi, in a statement forwarded to our correspondent on whatsapp said: ‘’ Yes, the case was reported.
The suspect, Abdulsalam (Opeyemi) Ojo, is at large. The deceased, Michael Ojo, was stabbed multiple times on his left rib, left hand, and the back of his head. He was confirmed dead by the doctors on duty at the Ahmadiya Hospital, Ijaiye-Ojokoro, and the corpse was deposited at Ifo General Hospital Morgue. Investigation stalled as the relative refused to show up to givea statement, especially the mother, who was an eyewitness.’’
