SEGUN Olabode-Otti is a 21-year-old boy residing at Oke Ado area of Ibadan, Oyo State. With his father dead and his mother in a second marriage, Segun had grown into adulthood learning to fend for himself. He was reported to have always joined other boys of shady character in smoking Indian hemp within the premises of a primary school on his street, the resultant effect of which was unnecessary display of aggressiveness.
However, his display of this aggressiveness has landed him police net as he is currently cooling his heels in the cell at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Iyaganku, Ibadan for allegedly stabbing one Sayo Adeyemi on the left side of his chest with a screw driver on Wednesday April 4 at about 6.45p.m.
According to information gathered, Sayo had gone to ease himself within the premises of the primary school and was on his way out when he was accosted by Segun who demanded an explanation for his presence in a place he and his group regarded as their own exclusive spot. However, Segun reportedly felt that Sayo’s reply was rude, so he challenged him to a fight by tapping him on the chest.
The duo were said to have rolled on the ground as they fought. Suddenly, Sayo screamed and slumped. By the time onlookers moved to where he was, he was bleeding from a hole created in his chest. Some sympathisers quickly rushed him to a private hospital close to the scene of incident but he was referred to St Mary’s General Hospital, Eleta, Ibadan, based on the seriousness of the injury he sustained. However, he was said to have given up the ghost before he got to the hospital.
Meanwhile, those left at the scene where the fight took place were reported to have descended on Segun, beating him.
He was later taken to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SÀRS) unit, Dugbe, from where those who brought him were referred to the State CID since the case involved was alleged murder.
Police sources told Sunday Tribune that the suspect however denied stabbing the deceased with any object, saying that he must have fallen on a sharp object when he fell down. According to the source, “Segun claimed that he and one Tunde a.k.a. White were strolling past Methodist Primary School, Oke Ado, when they saw Sayo coming out of the school.
Tunde was said to have demanded an explanation from the deceased on what he went to do in the school but he allegedly replied Tunde harshly because he felt it was no business of his.
“Segun also directed same question at him but he reportedly warned him not to challenge him again. This did not go down well with Segun and a fight ensued. It was in the process that Segun claimed the deceased fell and the next thing he saw was blood flowing from his side. Segun also said that the deceased’s fellow apprentices were watching them as they fought, with the thought that Sayo would have an upper hand, so they did not separate the fighting duo.
“However, immediately they saw that he had been injured, they surrounded Segun and started beating him, after which they took him to the front of the shop where Sayo was an apprentice and tied him. He was later taken to the police station”. Segun was reported to have claimed also that he only smoked hemp once in a while and did not intend to smoke that day.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, Ms Olabisi Okuwobi confirmed the story, saying that the suspect would be charged to court at the completion of investigations.