Okada rider arrested for killing friend

Ajao

A commercial motorcycle rider (okada rider), Rafiu Ajao, has been arrested by the police in Lagos for allegedly killing his friend, Wasiu Dada.

The two men were said to have lived together at Raji Crescent, Ayobo, in the Ipaja area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the men, who had been friends for over five years, were chatting at their residence on September 4, 2013, when a fight erupted, leading to the death of Dada, who also rode a commercial motorcycle for a living.

Rafiu described the incident as the handiwork of the devil, adding that if he could rewind time, he would have opted not to commit the crime.

He said, “I am 20 years old and a vulcanizer by vocation but when I was not making money from it, I decided to go into okada business. Wasiu (Dada) and I were very close friends. We lived together, worked together and were from the same hometown – Saki, Oyo State.

“On the day of the incident, we had brought out our bikes for servicing and washing. We started to play with each other. Initially, we were exchanging punches as if we were acting a scene from a movie. After some time, Wasiu (Dada) took it seriously and picked up a bottle, broke it and stabbed me.

“Another guy, who witnessed this, attempted to stop us from fighting but we rebuffed him. When I started bleeding, I got angry, picked up my own bottle and stabbed him in the neck. Look at my body; I also have wounds.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that the deceased started to bleed profusely and died before he could be taken to a hospital.

It was learnt that a landlord in the area, who got wind of the situation, reported the matter to the Ipaja Police Division after which Rafiu was arrested.

The suspect, who spoke while fighting back tears, said his father was severely ill and his mother was poor. He  called on the state government to intervene in his case.

“This guy (Dada) was my friend. I did not kill him on purpose; we even shared a plate of rice on that same day. It was the devil that pushed me to kill my best friend.

“My father has stroke and my mother is a housemaid. I was making between N1, 500 and N2, 000 daily from my okada business. Who will take care of my parents if I am sent to jail?”

The suspect’s mother, Silifat, who was also at the police station, told PUNCH Metro that the killing was not deliberate.

“They were always together and they used to come to my house a lot. The last time I saw them, I told them to be careful with the way they played. They said they had heard and even laughed about it. I never knew the devil was unto them. I plead for mercy for my son,” she said.

When contacted on the telephone, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the matter to our correspondent on the telephone, adding that the matter had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba.

“The matter is under investigation at the SCID and based on the outcome of investigations, the suspect will be charged accordingly,” she said.

Source: Punch