IT was another gruesome murder in Nigeria yesterday. The Guardian's Assistant News Editor and an ace political reporter, Bayo Ohu, was shot dead in his apartment in Egbeda, a Lagos suburb.

Ohu was just getting set to attend Church service after seeing off his wife, Ochuko, and sister-in-law, to the early morning service when the gunmen came knocking on his door at about 6.52 a.m.

According to eye-witnesses, the five or six men came in a white Toyota Camry saloon car, wearing white flowing gowns with matching skull caps. They made no attempt to enter any other apartment in the four-flat house. Ohu heard a knock on his door and as he opened the front door to ask who was knocking, the gunmen hit him with a volley of bullets. His blood made a huge splash all over the door. He staggered back into the house screaming for help, but his assailants followed him inside and rained more bullets into him.

Curiously, the assailants made away with only his laptop and mobile phone handset.

The landlady, who was just opening her shop that morning, was the first to come in contact with the assailants. She was ordered to lie face down by a man she identified as the leader of the gang. He warned her in Yoruba language to stay in that position if she didn't want any harm to come to her. She narrated in Yoruba: "The man went ahead to show me a big gun hidden under his flowing gown and I started pleading with him that he should please have mercy on me, that I had no money and was just a poor trader who sells soft drinks. He just told me not to worry, that nothing would happen to me if I stayed face down on the ground. From my shop, he started shouting orders to others." Soon after she was deafened by the gunshots.

The Guardian confirmed that no less than a dozen rounds of ammunition were fired. The police recovered most of the expended bullets.

One bullet went through the right side of Ohu's chest and exited through the left side, tearing through the arm. Two of Ohu's children, who were yet to go to church, had gone to fetch water from another house in the neighbourhood, ran into the assailants and were immediately chased into hiding. Those watching the gory scene from adjoining buildings said that the assailants, after completing their task, still had enough time to wash their hands and feet while two of their colleagues fired shots into the air to scare all in the neighbourhood.

One of the children told The Guardian that from her hiding place he heard one of the assailants shouting out jubilantly to his colleagues: "Olori buruku e ti ku (the fool is dead)."

But Bayo Ohu, a hefty six-footer, did not go down without a fight for life. One of his neighbours who rushed to his side after the assailants made their exit, noticed that his pulse was still strong and he was still breathing. Other neighbours were quickly mobilised to save his life. They rushed him to a nearby hospital, just three minutes drive from Ohu's residence. At the hospital, the staff on duty insisted on a Police Report before any first aid could be administered on him. Noticing that he was losing much blood, the neighbours decided to head to the Ikeja General Hospital. Ohu, however, did not make it there as doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

"There is no doubt that this is a clear assassination job. I have been in the police force for a long time and the kind of expended bullet cartridges found at the scene of the crime is really a source of worry. These are high caliber bullets that are not normal when attacking harmless people. You only go with this kind of weapon where you expect resistance, where you are going with the intent of war. It's not a regular thing", a police source said yesterday.

He then added in a tone dripping with frustration: "There is no cartridge that has the same groove pattern. The groove pattern on each bullet is akin to finger-prints. So, if we were in a situation where police jobs are made easier with good investigative capacity, the bullets could be used in locating the guns and sources, but my friend you know how things are here."

Speaking later with journalists, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Frank Mbah, said that the Force was looking at the case from the point of view of the gruesome circumstances, "we are leaving all options open in our investigations." Mbah also said that with more evidence coming to the Force after the recovery of the vehicle used in the operation, things were beginning to point to a possible case of armed robbery. But he quickly added that all leads were being followed.

A shaken Editor and Deputy-Editor in Chief of The Guardian, Debo Adesina, who had rushed to the General Hospital to ensure Ohu's prompt treatment, an effort which now turned out futile, told journalists that, "it is now left for the Police to do their job. I hope they would unravel this killing and let Nigerians know who did this as well as why?"

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Marvel Akpoyibo, said that the police had already commenced investigation into the death, added: "We have commenced investigations into the killing. We are investigating a case of murder and robbery. We sympathise with our friend, The Guardian for what happened, we shall investigate the death discretely."

Shock and fear enveloped Ohu's residence as neighbours gathered around discussing the killing yesterday. Bayo Ohu, according to neighbours, was a very quiet person. "You never would know whether he lived in this house or not. He was not the regular kind of person known to everyone. He went about his life quietly. In fact, his wife and kids are better known in this area than he was", one of the neighbours told The Guardian.

One other neighbour watching the scene said: "The whole thing looked like a home video. We saw them, the way they made a U-turn with their car on a narrow road, the way they held their guns and shooting as if they were robbing a bank, was so shocking. We could not react immediately because we were shocked and we were scared. I just went blank. It was after they drove off that we could summon courage to check who their victim was."

Oyeniji Street, and the surrounding Odukoya Estate, though with one or two nice looking buildings, is generally a lower middle-class neighbourhood. Ohu's residence is an old-fashioned four-flat house, each flat with three bedrooms.

Meanwhile, Ohu's body has been deposited at the mortuary of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. He left behind five children; the eldest being 16 years, while the youngest is nine months old, a housewife, who is a part-time student of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye and an aged father.

Ogunbayo Ohu was born on June 18, 1964. He started his education at the Local Authority Primary School, Iseyin, Oyo State, from where he proceeded to Progressive Grammar School, Ado-Awaye, also in Oyo State, where he finished in 1976. He had his tertiary education at The Polytechnic, Ibadan between 1988-1990.

Bayo Ohu joined The Guardian in 1991 and distinguished himself early as a reporter. He covered Katsina State as a State Correspondent and his performance recommended him for promotion to Assistant News Editor. His flair for reporting made him move from the desk back to the beat to cover politics which he did very well.

Yesterday, publisher of The Guardian, Dr. Alex Ibru, said he was saddened by the incident and hoped the police would do a thorough job of investigating this killing. He prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of Ohu and sent his condolences to his family.

Ohu's was yet another in the list of journalists' murder. Dele Giwa, Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, was killed through a parcel bomb on October 19, 1986 during the military regime of President Ibrahim Babangida.

More recently, Godwin Agbroko, the Editorial Board Chairman of ThisDay newspaper, was gunned down on Oshodi-Mile Two Expressway in 2006 on Christmas eve.

Yet, another mysterious death was that of Abayomi Ogundeji, also a member of the Editorial Board of ThisDay newspaper on August 17, 2008. He was shot in his vehicle on his way from work late in the

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article02//indexn2_html?pdate=210909&ptitle=Bayo%20Ohu,%20The%20Guardian's%20reporter,%20murdered

with 2011 around the corner,i smell something in this gore, may God bless his soul

Now, who killed Bayo Ohu?

This is serious!

At the hospital, the staff on duty insisted on a Police Report before any first aid could be administered on him.

Nigerian Stupity at it again; gawwd!! When would we stop, ehn? Imagine that guy been rushed to d hospital and yet treatment was declined to seek for some idiotic police report shit nonsense first. What could be more worse than this unruely decision.
Yes, even a blind man knows that this act of murder was all sumed up by targeted opponents or even sponsored by politician for printing/submitting a story. R.I.P.

blacksta:

But Bayo Ohu, a hefty six-footer, did not go down without a fight for life. One of his neighbours who rushed to his side after the assailants made their exit, noticed that his pulse was still strong and he was still breathing. Other neighbours were quickly mobilised to save his life. They rushed him to a nearby hospital, just three minutes drive from Ohu's residence. At the hospital, the staff on duty insisted on a Police Report before any first aid could be administered on him. Noticing that he was losing much blood, the neighbours decided to head to the Ikeja General Hospital. Ohu, however, did not make it there as doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.


http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article02//indexn2_html?pdate=210909&ptitle=Bayo%20Ohu,%20The%20Guardian's%20reporter,%20murdered

When will the police come to terms with the importance of human life in emergency situations like this and jettison this their "report before treatment" for bullet wounds. At least treament can start dependeing on criticality and other documentations can follow later.

It is so sad that the man's life could have been saved but for the laws of the land. Maybe if they had applied first aid, those 5 children would not be fatherless today.

The nurses, doctors who refused to treat him, the police who said that hospitals must collect police report to treat a wounded human being, and all the law makers who passed the law (if it exists) should be charged as assessories to murder (2nd or 3rd degree) of all the souls that have died due to this wicked law!

May God keep his family and may God save us Nigerians.

The nurses, doctors who refused to treat him, the police who said that hospitals must collect police report to treat a wounded human being, and all the law makers who passed the law (if it exists) should be charged as assessories to murder (2nd or 3rd degree) of all the souls that have died due to this wicked law!

sadly they all acted within the LAW!

I expect this should be one of the first LAW to be expelled by NA since 1999 but alas nothing has been done.

Ofcourse his killers would never be find. This is Nigeria!

This why I continue to judge Nigeria in a bad way. Until change comes, many people that live in that country will continue to suffer under the hands of people called themselves a leader. To that doctor and nurse, whether they are acting upon the law, they will surely regret it. Emergency is met for anyone with or without police report and medical insurance. Is that insurance exit in Nigeria.

This no be small matter ooo!! na waoo

Pathetic

rip  

What law?are you saying it's really a law in Nigeria not to give first aid?

Maybe the guy was on to something. Perhaps he discovered Turai was our real president or something about the N Delta and he was about to let the cat out of the bag so they silenced him. In this lawless country, journalism could be suicide.

I hope they would unravel this killing and let Nigerians know who did this as well as why?''
In your dreams i guess,

Even the killers of Bola ige, the former attorney genenal was not found,

how earth do u wanna find the killers. keep hoping

thats absolute nonsense, what bloody police report, there is no such law, a jungle called nigeria indeed the country's a jungle

Nigeria is beginning to look like a somalia wannabe

well, we are in a country where they migthy ones can wake up and kill anybody without any thing happenning. we are not save in this country

OvieE:

This why I continue to judge Nigeria in a bad way. Until change comes, many people that live in that country will continue to suffer under the hands of people called themselves a leader. To that doctor and nurse, whether they are acting upon the law, they will surely regret it. Emergency is met for anyone with or without police report and medical insurance. Is that insurance exit in Nigeria.

Will you bail out the Doctors and/or nurses if the Police come afterwards and arrest them for treating an armed robber? Don't hate the player hate the game. These are the kind of issues we need to speak up about so that our senators and reps can do something about it. As is usual, all we will do is come up to Nairaland and post post post post. TAKE FREAKING ACTION. NIGERIAN YOUTHSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Really sad,


May his soul RIP

saw this on sahara and it was really sad, nigeria is heading towards the situation in eastern europe,especially russia i just hope the editor who was his boss will have the courage to publish the news or expose the guy was assasinated for,because2 or three ppl will definitely have had an inkling of what he was working on,especially his immediate boss

I pray the killers and their sponsors are found and brought to book. I feel very sad for his family and the entire journalism community. Another painful aspect of this is that the brains behind this are not the hungry assassins but those politicians we see on our T.V's daily claiming to do wonder for us. May his soul rest in peace.

I also think serious action should be taken against the hospital that rejected him. Their first task should be to save lives.

May his gentle soul rest in peace.

Police report before you treat a dying man. Nigeria is a joke. May his soul rest in peace and may God comfort his family

A-town:

Will you bail out the Doctors and/or nurses if the Police come afterwards and arrest them for treating an armed robber? Don't hate the player hate the game. These are the kind of issues we need to speak up about so that our senators and reps can do something about it. As is usual, all we will do is come up to Nairaland and post post post post. TAKE FREAKING ACTION. NIGERIAN YOUTHSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

true hospitals are just protecting themselves from malpractice.

i think it would be better to direct our anger to the lawlessness and insecurity of our land than to attack the nurses who were simply obeying the laws of the land. we have a national assembly, if the law is bad, we should tell them to change the law. and by the way the story went, the way i see it, that hospital may not be able to save that guy's life and yet they'll be arrested for treating bullet wounds without police report. . . . .and we'll be here in nairaland posting the details. dont blame them.


again, the signs of a failed nation begin to show. not because of murder(it happens everywhere) but b/c the culprits are so relaxed that they had time to wash their hands. b/c they know nothing would happen.

nigeria

This country needs the prayers of the real men of God!
we are losing great people too much, without investigation.
This looks like he got news about some useless Nigerians!

This is a country of terror and horror!

If it really is a law that police reports should be provided before doctors can attend to bullet-wound victims, why cant it be amended to read that medical practitioners can administer first aid, at least, first, then alert the police about the patient's bullet-inflicted wounds?? Isn't that the way it is done in civilised countries, for God's sakes How do you expect to get a useless piece of paper first from a non-existent, non-performing police force before a life can be saved??

Maybe you get there now and they tell you they dont have paper or biro, or cant follow you to the hospital because their cars are either broken down or dont have fuel! Where is this country heading towards, I beg? I am trying so hard not to give up on this country but everyday it becomes increasingly difficult not to. May God help us.

argggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

back2back:

sadly they all acted within the LAW!

I expect this should be one of the first LAW to be expelled by NA since 1999 but alas nothing has been done.

Ofcourse his killers would never be find. This is Nigeria!

sad. However, I also think that doctors and nurses have a duty to protect lives. My belief is that it is part of their duty code.

We have written and signed petitions against SONY in the two cases of SONY vs Nigeria, I think its high time we also wrote and signed a petition to the National Assembly for a total repeal or ammendment of the said law. Too many people have died, let us not wait till its someone we know.

If anyone knows the section of the Nigerian constitution that mentions this law, please let us know so a petition can be drafted.

Another Human sacrifice at the hands of nigerian laws and under equipped consulting stations aka hospitals.

Let's rebrand this shall we. Minister Dora in conjuntion with IGP Onovo.

sad!

I think it had to do with politics.