By Rotimi Ojomoyela

ADO-EKITI—TONGUES are still wagging as teachers and pupils of Ado Grammar School express surprise as to why a 16- year-old should take the life of his school mate.

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While the answer may take eternity in coming, it will also take several days and months before the entire community of the 58- year-old institution founded by the Anglican Communion in conjunction with people of Ado-Ekiti can come to terms with the sad event.

The unfortunate incident took place on Thursday, December 6.

Trouble started between SS2 and SS3 students in the early hours of Thursday, December 6, as a result of an argument among the youngsters about who among them possessed potent ‘juju’ weapon that could withstand gun or knife attack.

There was also another version that the root cause of the crisis was an argument over the ownership of the football pitch between the SS3 and SS2 students.

Ado Grammar School, sited in a very large expanse of land boasts of football pitches of various categories, the JJS owned one, while the SS1 and SS2 had different ones.

The argument degenerated to name-calling and a challenge was thrown between the duo of Mathew Favour, a 16-year-old SS 2 student and 17-year-old, SS3 student, Kehinde Timilehin, and what promised to be an interesting battle was scheduled for after school hours at a popular spot in the Teak plantation behind the school premises.

The Face off

The duo and their supporters went home, dropped their school bags and school uniforms and re-appeared at the battle spot, armed with dangerous weapons and charms.

Favour, described by many in the school as an easy-going fellow, who had been a class prefect since his JSS days, all of a sudden metamorphosed into a tough guy, boasting of the efficacy of his charms, basking in the praise of his supporters, displayed his ‘juju’ armaments.

While Timilehin, described as a notorious and stubborn student, who on many occasions, had problem with his colleagues in the school, brought out his ammunition, cudgels, axe and cutlass, all to the excitement of his supporters.

Eyewitnesses and sources at the scene recounted that the duo engaged each other in a most daring bloody fight.

According to them, it was the deceased that struck first with an axe, but the impact feeble on Timilehin, who was standing and beating his chest, to the excitement and amazement of his supporters.

Timilehin retaliated with a knife to the heart of Favour and instantly, he was on the ground, writhing in pains, as blood gushed out uncontrollably.

Panic set in, the cheering crowd disappeared, while wailing rented the air.

It was the noise that attracted the attention of the Principal of the school, Mr Ebenezer Falayi and other members of staff

School authority react

The Principal, Mr Falayi and his Vice, Mr. Olurotimi Olaoluwa, explained that the incident occurred around 2.15pm at a far section of the institution after the school had closed.

Falayi said: “This incident really saddened us, because it could have been avoided. What I gathered from students who were at the spot of the gory incident was that the duo were arguing over who had superior power and the deceased had earlier gone home to bring those weapons which could not pierce the suspect when used on him.

“I was told that the suspect later overpowered him and collected those weapons and stabbed the victim in the chest. Our teachers, including myself, my Vice and Registrar alongside other teachers who were resident on campus here rushed him to EKSUTH. We even took the suspect along.

“The victim was put on life support, but that could not help the situation, he died in the hospital. I had to quickly call the DPO of Odo Ado Police Station who reinforced his men and contacted police station at Oke Ila to prevent the suspect from being killed by highly enraged deceased’s family members.

“The hospital insisted on doing the autopsy before releasing the corpse but the family resisted it. They later released the corpse to the family when it nearly caused trouble in the hospital.

“The police also took the suspect into custody. But I had to beg for security beef up around the school when there was threat that 30 students will be killed in a reprisal attack.”

Suspect arrested—Police

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, confirmed that “the suspect was immediately taken to the Criminal Investigation Department, CID, at the Police Command shortly after the deceased was confirmed dead.”

Ikechukwu said the status of the suspect, who was 17 years when he committed the offence remained an issue that would be determined by Ekiti judiciary.

This is just as there are also speculations that the culprit, being a minor, might be detained at the Juvenile Correctional Centre.

But the PPRO disclosed that the office of the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, at the state Ministry of Justice would determine whether the suspect will face prosecution or taken to the Juvenile Correction Centre for detention.

He said: “I want to say that the suspect’s fate will be determined by the DPP  because being a minor, a lot of things would have to be taken into consideration.

“But as for us in the police, we are investigating the matter to be able to establish whether it was a case of murder or manslaughter.

“We are investigating the elements  of the case because by law, if you are less than 18 years, there must be special consideration for any offence committed.

“But we also have juvenile correction centre, so the DPP will  study the outcome of our investigation and come up with the best alternative that would be in line with the law.”

However, adequate security measure had been taken to prevent carnage in the school by threat of reprisal attack as the school management in collaboration with the state government had agreed to shut the school for the rest of the first term.

Reprisal attack

A source said: “The school is to be shut but the teachers will be working, because the victim’s family threatened that the 30 students will be killed in the reprisal attack.

“It is not in any way safe for us to ask students to return to school now. They had finished their examinations before the incident happened. We shall ask the students to go back home in the interest of security.”

Policemen in two hilux vans were seen manning the school gate, keeping eagle eyes on those coming in and out of the school.

The measure is necessary, according to a police source, to prevent a reprisal attack which emanated from threat issued by the deceased’s family that they would invade the school in protest.