A
29-year-old mechanic, Bode David, was beaten merciless and forced to
spend a night with his friends dead body, late Ganiyu, and drink the water used
to wash his dead body to show he did not kill his friend.
The
incident happened at Isheri Magodo, a suburb of Lagos, they carried out the act
because before Ganiyu died in the hospital, he kept calling Bode’s name.
Now hear Bode’s
side of the story’ Recounting his ordeal, Bode, an indigene of Ekiti State, a
mechanic, who specialized in fixing Japanese vehicles, said: “I knew the late
Ganiyu and Wasiu in January, when I was looking for someone to fix my faulty
Honda car.
“That was
when Ganiyu introduced me to Wasiu to fix my car. After he fixed my car, I paid
him N35,000. Since then, we have had no business except when our paths
occasionally crossed and we exchange pleasantries.
“On
Tuesday, Wasiu called me at about 6p.m., saying they need my help urgently. He
said Ganiyu was in the hospital and that they needed money to purchase pints of
blood and drips, which was about N19, 000.
“He
pleaded with me to come. At about 7pm, without any idea that Ganiyu was dead, I
drove my car to the junction of their street, called him on phone that he
should come and collect N5,000, which was all that I had to assist Ganiyu’s
treatment at that time.
“When he
came to where I parked my vehicle, he said the hospital was nearby, so we
walked towards where he said the hospital is located.
How he
was lured into the place “As we walked, I began to notice some strange movement
in the vicinity as bad boys filled the area, so I asked where exactly the
hospital was. He said we are taking a short cut to the hospital.
‘’Eventually,
the short cut led to a compound. Immediately we entered the compound, people
began to ask me what I knew about Ganiyu’s death. I told them I knew nothing,
but they did not believe me, and they began to beat me.
‘’When
they were beating me, a Baale in the area interrogated me, told them to stop
beating me and to hand me over to the police, or they might beat me to death
and then have two corpses on their hands. But they refused.
“After
beating me, they forced me to sleep on the floor in the same room where
Ganiyu’s corpse was laid to prove that I had nothing to do with his death.
While they were beating me, my phone and the money in my pocket got missing.
“When
they discovered that I was still alive, they washed his corpse and forced me to
drink the water. I refused but they almost killed me with another round of
beating. When it was obvious that I had no option, I drank it.
“After I
drank the water, someone who claimed that he knew me called the police. The
police took me to divisional police station at Awoshika, before the case was
transferred to Area F Command.
“I have
nothing to do with Ganiyu’s death. How would I be responsible for his death
when I had no problem with him? All I want is for government and Nigerians to
come to my aid, and bring those who meted this inhumane treatment to me to
justice.’’
Now is 33-year-old
Wasiu Fadairo’s turn to speak, he is the mechanic who tricked Bode with
the call that brought him to the house,
hear him: “I am from Kwara State. The late Ganiyu is from my home town.
“On May
12, Ganiyu was stooling and vomiting blood, so we rushed him to a hospital
located along Oluwora Road, Isheri in Magodo. He later died, calling a
particular name— Bode.
“After he
died, we took him home because none of his immediate family members or
relatives was available. When we called them, they said they were coming, so we
kept his corpse inside his room.
“That same day, neighbours and people living
around were angry, alleging that the name Bode, which Ganiyu kept calling
before he died, was responsible for his death. So they began to call Bode’s
phone number.
“When Bode
did not come, I called him with my phone and told him that Ganiyu was lying
critically ill and needed blood and drips, and that we need his assistance.
“When he
came, people began to question him concerning what he knew about Ganiyu’s
death. Before he could say a word, they pounced on him and began to beat him.
So I ran to call the police to come and rescue him.
“After
police rescued him, they later went to where he parked his car and vandalized
it. I was there when they were beating him, but I was not there when they
forced him to lie beside the corpse and drink the water used to wash it.”
And
Police said: Confirming the incident, Lagos State Police Public Relations
Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said: “Two friends went out for a drink and one of
them, Ganiyu, took ill after the outing and started stooling.
“He was
rushed to the hospital for medical attention, but died in the process. Angry
friends and neighbours, suspecting the complicity of Bode David, descended on
him and attempted to lynch him.
“He was,
however, rescued by our policemen and investigations into the circumstances
surrounding the death of Ganiyu commenced at Isheri Division. But the case has
been transferred to the Department of Criminal investigation, DCI, Yaba, for
further investigation.”
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