It was meant to be a day of festivity, but it turned out a tragic day for Yakubu Azeez, an Ibadan-based jeweller. A few hours after he organised a befitting thanksgiving service for his late father, gunmen stormed his residence in Olomi-Olunde area of the city and shot him dead.
Sources, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said the incident occurred just as Azeez retired into his room after observing the 22nd anniversary of his father’s death on February 3, 2012.
His assailants were said to have scaled the fence of his residence and gained access into his room through the ceiling at about 2 am.
The deceased, whose trader-wife, Morufa, was said to have travelled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to buy goods, was allegedly shot in the chest. The assassins were also said to have dragged Azeez’s aged mother out of her room to see her son’s body in a pool of blood.
Not done yet, the unwanted guests vandalised a Pathfinder Sports Utility Vehicle the deceased had just bought and carted away assorted jewellery kept in the vehicle.
Our correspondent learnt that but for providence, the deceased’s younger brother, Isola, would also have been killed by the aggressors. Isola was said to have been aroused by his late brother’s shout for help while he was being tortured by his assailants. But as soon as Isola made his way toward his late brother’s room, the attackers shot sporadically in his direction, asking him to go back to his room or get killed.
A younger brother of the deceased, Abiola, who spoke with our correspondent, said he received the news of his brother’s assassination with shock.
“It was a rude shock when I was told on the telephone that my brother had been killed by suspected assassins. He had just organised a remembrance bash for our late father before he was killed.
“He had never fought with anyone because he was an easy-going person. He never engaged in any shady deal or unholy partnership with anyone. He led a pious life. He was a likeable fellow because of his generosity and he was a devout Muslim. He even built a mosque for the community. He will be greatly missed.”
While describing the deceased as a devout Muslim and philanthropist, one of the leaders in the mosque built by the late Azeez said: “I knew that something had gone wrong when I was summoned on the phone at 2 am to the residence of the deceased. The news of his death confirmed my premonition that all was not well.
“The Police were invited by neighbours and his body was taken away at about 8 am for autopsy at Adeoyo General Hospital, Ibadan. It was not long before his remains were released to us for burial, because he was a Muslim.
”He was such a courageous man. In spite of the challenges he faced when his father died, he summoned courage to serve as an apprentice with a goldsmith. After completing his apprenticeship, it did not take long before fortune smiled on him.”
The deceased, according to a source who asked not to be named, was a self-made person. The source added that Azeez went through a lot before things started looking up for him. When success came his way, he built a house and bought a fleet of cars.”
Another younger brother of the deceased, Muniru, said his late brother was the breadwinner of the family, adding that his death had created a vacuum that could not be easily filled.
Muniru said: “My brother was the one taking care of the family, including our mother. There is no doubt that his death has created a big vacuum that would not be filled for a long time to come.”
The Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Police Command, Mr. Femi Okanlawon, declined comments on the matter when our correspondent called him on the phone.
No comments:
Post a Comment