Oju Abere, a rustic community in Ilogbo area of Atan in Ado-Odo/ Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, was, penultimate Thursday, thrown into confusion following the brutal killing of a middle-aged man, Mr. Lawrence Jacob, by some masked persons led by his biological brother. Jacob was alleged to have been shot point blank in the temple by three unidentified gunmen led by his sibling, Timothy Adeyemi.
The gory incident was said to have occurred at about 10.30pm, when the victim’s elder brother, Adeyemi and three armed young boys allegedly rode on two motorcycles into Jacob’s house and snuffed life out of him.
Our correspondent gathered that the victim’s wife, Abiodun, gave birth to a baby barely a month ago. According to a source, “The young killers, aside the fact that it was already dark, were all masked as they rode in commando style to the house of their target. Nobody can say with absolute certainty the motive behind the killing.”
When the dust finally settled, the victim was stone dead
It was learnt that the victim’s elder brother, Adeyemi, upon arrival at Jacob’s residence along with the three gunmen, called out his younger brother, who was already asleep, and ordered the masked young boys to shoot him.
“The hooded boys brought out a pistol each and within a twinkle of an eye, they rained bullets on the head of Lawrence Jacob, who collapsed and sprawled in the pool of his blood. All these happened in the presence of his wife, who equally collapsed at the sight of the gory incident.
“When brother Timothy was satisfied that his brother had no chance of surviving the gunshot wounds inflicted on him, he ordered that they leave the scene on their getaway motorcycles,” the source said.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that panic-stricken residents, who heard the sporadic gunshots, ran in different directions while some even took cover under their beds.
According to a community leader in the area, Mr. Sunday Olakunle, “When the dust finally settled, the victim was stone dead as his body was riddled with bullets. Those who saw his senior brother at the scene of the incident, when the ugly show was going on, suspected that there could have been an issue between them as the two of them were known to be touts in the nearby garage.”
Olakunle further told The Point that Adeyemi had, since the inci- d e n t , fled his residence for fear of arrest by the police from the State Criminal Investigations Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta.
When our Correspondent visited the community on Sunday, the incident was being discussed in hushed tones by the residents. A resident of the area, Mrs. Aweda Mowunmi, told our correspondent that the principal suspect in the matter appeared to have joined a notorious street gang with its stronghold in Atan.
According to her, nocturnal activities and attacks had become a common place amongst rival local cult groups populated by motor park touts in the area. “These cult boys have tattoos all over their body and they have rival groups.
Maybe, the path of the two bloodrelated brothers has crossed; and the result was the calamity that befell our community when Lawrence was killed under the supervision of his brother. We need prayers in this village,” she said.
Further enquiries by our correspondent indicated that the victim was buried last weekend in an unmarked grave following the decision by the family not to formally inform the police about the incident.
“Lawrence Jacob has since been buried .We do not want to make any case. The principal suspect in the matter, who is the senior brother of the deceased person, is on the run, though his telephone line is still working. We have put everything behind us and moved on with our life,” a family source said.
However, at the State Criminal Investigations Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, a highly placed police officer, who spoke under anonymity, said that the police were going to exhume the body of the deceased as part of the preliminary move to get justice for the victim.
“You do not excuse a crime of such a magnitude. Once a crime as serious as murder is overlooked, it means that we are not supposed to be here as police officers”, he said, Speaking in the same vein, the state Police Public Relations Officer, abimbola Oyeyemi, told our correspondent on the phone that the incident must be thoroughly investigated and the culprits brought to book. “My office is yet to get the full report on the matter. I shall liaise with the appropriate person for the necessary information. Nobody has the right to kill.”
