By Bose Adelaja

For Octogenarian Pa Fatai Soneye, a native of Ikorodu in Lagos State, Thursday July 28 will remain an unforgettable day in his life. That was the day he had a narrow escape from death.

Apart from that, the incident succeeded in disrupting the final burial rites of his elder sister, Madam Sussanah Taiwo Olowu, nee Soneye, who died at the age of 97 years.

Though Pa Soneye is alive to thank God and to share his experience, the incident did not go without leaving him with bruises on his body. Indeed he was writhing in pains on a hospital bed on a day the final burial rites of his elder sister were being conducted on July 29.

On that Thursday, the octogenarian was almost strangled to death by dare-devil robbers who confronted him around Obun-Oke area of Ita-Elewa in Ikorodu on his way from the Christian wake which took place at Aga, also in Ikorodu area.

The near-tragic incident took place around 9pm of that fateful day. The octogenarian was beaten into unconscious and left for dead before a good Samaritan came to his aid in the late hours of that day.

After regaining consciousness, he discovered he had lost his N50,000, a GSM phone, a good quantity of locally made fabrics and other valuables to the robbers.

Pa Soneye’s residence in Igbogbo

As is the practice in Yoruba land, the family members had before the incident been involved in series of meetings led by the octogenarian who automatically became the next in command after the death of Madam Taiwo.

Being the eldest son in his family, Pa Soneye was to coordinate every activity pertaining to the funeral rites, including disbursement of fund.

After the old man had supervised the buying of cows, pasting of posters, obituary announcement and purchase of food items, the final family meeting was scheduled for Thursday to perfect all arrangements.

However, the family members had no premonition that an incident which could bring tears to their faces was lurking around the corner. But this was what happened when the octogenarian became a victim of robbery attack few minutes after the meeting.

Although the octogenarian was still in pains when Vanguard Metro, VM, visited him on his sick bed, he managed to give a blow-by- blow account of the incident, saying there was every likelihood that the robbers trailed him from the venue of the family meeting.

According to him, he left his family house at Aga around 8.30pm after the Christian wake. With tears rolling down his cheeks, he said: “After the Christian wake around 8.30pm, I headed straight for Ota-Ona to board a motorcycle to my house at Igbogbo. On getting to Obun-Oke, I heard strange steps behind me and I paused to find out the source of the sound. To my surprise, some strange faces pounced on me from behind.

When I made an attempt to shout for help, one of them grabbed my throat, while others collected a hand bag containing some fabrics meant for the burial and other valuables; my pockets were also ransacked and my handset and a sum of N50,000 were taken away,’’ he narrated.

Pa Soneye also informed of the inhumane treatment meted to him by the robbers before they made away with the items. “As soon as one of them grabbed my throat, others covered my face with my dress before they hit me severally on the face.

They also hit my head on the ground and almost snuffed life out of me; I became unconscious.However, a good Samaritan later came to my aid,’’ said the octogenarian. Continuing, he said: “The good Samaritan also took me to my Igbogbo residence where members of my family have raised a search party. They have called the family house at Aga and were told the meeting had ended as far back as 8.30pm’’.

The incident consequently disrupted the final burial rites of his elder sister, especially as guests and well-wishers thought Pa Soneye did not survive the attack on learning of it.

I was the closest person to my late sister and I tried to encourage the entire family to give her a befitting burial but this did not come to be as the venue was thrown into disarray when I was conspicuously absent at the occasion.

My absence at the burial ceremony disrupted a lot of activities as our guests thought I was dead and my family members were only waiting to break the news after the occasion.

They left the venue hungry and many of them rushed to my house. The meal was later shared to neighbours before it gets spoilt  he informed.

VM also gathered that the octogenarian who has lost much weight fainted around noon of last Sunday. Also, the old man has lost his appetite since last Thursday as family members keep vigil, praying for his survival.

However, his children said he was responding to treatment. “He lost much strenght because he has played host to too many visitors but we shall try our best to control this,’’ they said.