Hoodlums have shot dead a leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State, Kunle Ajibade.
In the incident that occurred in Ijeshatedo in Surulere area, the hoodlums were said to have stabbed the victim at home before trailing him to a hospital where he was receiving treatment to finish him off.
Ajibade was said to be 28 at the time of his death.
His brother, Kehinde said that the killing was the culmination of a disagreement that occurred in the area.
He said his brother until his death was Vice Chairman of NURTW in Ijeshatedo.
He explained that a fight broke out on Ijikoyijo Street, Ijeshatedo during an event called Prosper Day held last Saturday.
Kehinde said that a fight broke out during the celebration between two rival gangs – one led by a man called My Son and another by one Kolom.
One of Kolom’s boys was said to have started misbehaving after having too much to drink, causing a rift between the two rival groups.
Kehinde said another group known as Ultimate led by one Alaka supported the My Son group.
“Kunle and some people tried to settle the fight. But Alaka became annoyed and engaged in a shouting match with my brother.
“One of Alaka’s boys, Jabi, even broke a bottle on my brother’s head, but we ensured that the matter was settled for peace to reign. The party ended and everyone went home,” Kehinde said.
He alleged that Alaka led his boys to attack Kunle in the night, and stabbed and macheted him.
He said he was alerted to the stabbing of his brother around 2am when his phone rang.
“I checked it and realised that it was my wife calling. I picked it, but my mother started speaking and she said I should go to Ijikoyijo Street because some people had used machetes to inflict serious wounds on Kunle.
“When I got there, I was told that they had taken my brother to a private hospital on Ogunmuyiwa Street. On my way there, I met his friends, who said while at the hospital, Alaka led his boys to attack the medical facility and shot my brother.
“They shot him in the hand, back and thigh. Even without the gunshots, the probability of him surviving the injuries he suffered during the attack with machetes was low. They cut his hand and head. I have Alaka’s voice recordings confirming that he attacked my brother.
“After the attack at the hospital, my brother’s friends rushed him to the Adetutu Hospital on Kosoko Street in Ijesha. My mum and I went to meet him there and decided to rush him to LUTH because the injuries were serious. We hired a tricycle, but he died on the way,” Kehinde said.
The victim’s mother, Adeola said her badly hurt son kept mentioning Alaka’s name until he died in her arms.
Demanding justice for her slain son, she noted that the case had been transferred from the Ijesha Police Station to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba.
“My son died in my hands. He kept mentioning Alaka’s name till he died. After his death, I called Alaka and told him that he killed my son. While my son has been buried, Alaka is still around and has not been arrested. I want justice,” The Punch quoted Adeola as saying.
However, Alaka denied leading the attackers that killed the NURTW official.
“I am not the one that led the attack. Kunle’s mother is like a mother to me. When she called and accused me of attacking her son, because of the way she spoke, I got annoyed and talked to her rudely.
“I asked if she knew what her son did to me. I was shocked when I heard that Kunle was dead and I could not call her back again because of how I had spoken to her on the phone. His brother also called me and started cursing me and I became speechless.
“I never entered any hospital. Gang members from Itire came to the party. Kunle threw a bottle at me. I was even the one going to meet Malik who scattered the party. If I knew he had died, I would never have the guts to talk to his mother like that,” Alaka said.
The Lagos State Police Command has yet to react to the incident.