ONE of the victims, a motorcyclist Chidi Oformata, met his untimely death in February 2010 at Oke-Afa, near the General Hospital, Isolo. He was said to be conveying one Okoro Humphrey of12, Moriamo Sanni Street, Ijegun Road to Ladipo market when some LASTMA officials attached to Ejigbo division allegedly flagged him down before a quarrel ensued.

One of them was said to have struck Oformata on the chest three times with a spiritual ring and he died on the spot. The passenger later gave their names as Danku Junaid, Lawal L.A, Gani, Oyekan and Jimoh Musa when he reported the incident to the Police.

*LASTMA officials

The second victim, 50 years old Benjamin Igbokwe, a commercial bus driver met his untimely death last Tuesday after a scuffle with one Adesina, a LASTMA official. Igbokwe was said to have been struck on the chest with a spiritual ring the LASTMA official was wearing on a left finger following a disagreement which resulted into a fight.

The tragic incident happened at Jakande Gate, Oke-Afa at around 8.30 pm that fateful day as the deceased was driving his commercial bus with number plate XB300JJJ from Ikotun to an undisclosed destination. An angry mob which was drawn to the scene, including passengers in the bus, immediately beat Adesina to stupor before he was rushed to the General Hospital, Isolo.

As at now, Igbokwe’s widow, Mary, a teacher with Emmanuel Nursery and Primary School and a part-time student with Adeniran Okusanya College of Education and her seven children, Miracle, 18; Chison, 16; Victory, 14; Dorcas and Ruth, 10; and Prince, 8; have been left to mourn their bread winner with a tough and bleak future staring them in the face.

Eighteen years old Miracle Igbokwe who witnessed his father’s death narrated to Crime Alert how their bread winner lost his life on that fateful day.

In an emotion-laden voice, he said: “We took off from Ikotun and the LASTMA man was standing by the Ejigbo office where he flagged us down because we did not close the door. He pursued us to Jakande Gate and asked my father to come down from the bus.

“Before my father could offer any explanation, Adesina used a golden ring on his left finger to punch my father on the chest and my father collapsed and died on the spot. The enraged crowd descended on the LASTMA official after noticing the death of my father and beat him to stupor. Both of them were later carried to the General Hospital, Isolo.”

On Police involvement and response so far he said: “I reported the incident at Ejigbo Division but there was a delay because I refused to offer bribe. I was referred to the then Police spokesman,who asked the press to interview me.

“My father was 35 years old and he was our bread winner. We are three boys and four girls, while my mother is a teacher at a nursery school. We now live at people’s mercy since the tragic death of my father. My mother earns only N6,000 per month and we cannot survive on this. Nigerians should please come to our rescue”.

A source at the hospital informed Crime Alert that Adesina is still at the emergency ward of the hospital but was yet to regain consciousness.

When Crime Alert visited Jakande Gate last week, most of those spoken to were unsparing in describing Adesina as an undesirable element in the Oke-Afa Ejigbo area. They advised the Police to ensure he does not go scot-free. “It serves him right, he has been terrorizing motorists in this area.

If Sina arrests you, nobody can beg him. He hit that driver with charm and the man fell down and died. If the government could not discipline erring officials, God is there to intervene,” said Amoo Rashidi and Mudasiru Adewale respectively.