By Bose Adelaja

IF only he had known that coming to Lagos to eke a living would turn out to be a painful tale of woes, perhaps Raimi Baruwa, a native of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, would have thought twice about the decision. Unfortunately, he is today bitterly regretting that decision as he presently has a debt of N620,000 hanging on his neck, while his health is fast deteriorating with nobody to come to his aid.

Before his predicament which has reduced him to a near beggar started in May 2012, the 26-year-old was a tricycle operator in the Okota area of Lagos. Raimi took to commercial tricycle when his mother’s petty business could no longer feed the family after the demise of their father who died some years back.

He grew up in Kwara State and had successfully completed his apprenticeship in vulcanising but could not obtain a certificate due to the fact that his family could not meet up with the graduation bill issued by his master; so the young man took to menial jobs for survival.

In 2009, his aunt, a petty trader in Lagos, visited the family in Ilorin and was surprised to see her nephew in such a pitiable situation and out of pity, offered relief by bringing him to her one room apartment in the Ikotun area of Lagos.

Disengagement of casual workers
Few months later, when a construction firm began the Itire-Okota link bridge project, Raimi was among the lucky youths engaged as casual workers. Unfortunately the joy of this was short-lived as the project was terminated in year 2010 and the casual workers disengaged.

After months of idleness, he was introduced to the tricycle business, popularly called Keke Marwa, as an operator, remitting N2,000 on daily basis to his boss. In May 2012, Raimi decided to become self-employed and acquired, through hire-purchase, a new tricycle with number plate LAR 334 QA, at the cost of N620,000, payable within a period of 48 weeks at the rate of N13,000 per week.

Mr Baruwa

This brought joy to the entire family in anticipation that their son would soon become the proud owner of the tricycle after completing the payment. Tragedy, however, struck two weeks later when he encountered three strange fellows who tricked and drugged him with what he thought was a harmless drink and disappeared with his tricycle.

He was found half-dead the following day and this has led to his deteriorating health condition. Sources in the family told Vanguard Metro, VM, the situation was steadily getting worse as his mental state seems to have been affected. The incident happened around 9pm on Thursday, May 17, while the young man was going home after the day’s business.

According to his aunt, Madam Toyin Baruwa, her nephew had stopped at a filling station near the Cele Bus-stop along the Oshodi-Apapa expressway to fuel his Keke when he was approached by a youngman who hired him to transport some goods from Ago to Ijesha.

After negotiation, his ‘client’ took him to Good Day Hotel, Ijesha where the goods were supposedly waiting to be transported. On getting there, his assailant persuaded him to wait for his boss, a female, who went for an engagement. After few minutes of waiting, Raimi became inpatient and decided to leave but his ‘client’ kept on cajoling him to wait a while and even engaged him in a friendly discussion.

But unknown to him, it was a ploy to drug him and steal his tricycle. “He fell into their trap by accepting their offer of a drink. After he drank from the bottle which, unknown to him, had been drugged, he lost consciousness and that was all he could recall that transpired,” said Madam Baruwa.

Back home, at about 12 midnight, the family received a call through Raimi’s number. They initially believed he was the one calling, but it later turned out it was his abductors who were calling to intimate the family that their son was found helpless and unconscious in front of a hotel. They gave the address as Good Day Hotel, Ijesha and then cut short the call.

The agitated family members immediately rushed to the scene and found Raimi lying helpless, indeed strapped in his clothes and seriously uncouncious. This unfortunate incident took place while the Lagos State medical doctors were on strike.

This situation informed the family’s choice of alternative medicine as a first line of cure for him. But this only provided temporary respite  as he has since then not regained full consciousness and remains mentally unbalanced.

To add salt to his injury, the owner of the tricycle has arrested his aunt and one other person being his guarantors and the duo might be sued any moment from now for failure to continue with the payment.