Death in the palace: Family, youths set for showdown

By Kunle Adeyemi, Sesan Olufowobi, Olalekan Adetayo and Sebastine Ebhuomhan


Members of the immediate family of Abiodun Yusuf Odubiyi who was found dead at the palace of the Onitire of Itire, Lagos State, Oba Lateef Dauda, as well as other youths in the community are warming up for a showdown with the community leaders.






Odubiyi was found dead with a rope on his neck near a shrine at the palace on July 19.

The case, which was earlier reported to the police at Itire, was later referred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, on July 21.

As at press time on Thursday, the two groups were meeting at different spots in the area with the aim of taking a common position on the issue.

This came just as the initial result of the autopsy conducted on the 28-year-old man indicated that he died of ”suspected asphyxia occasioned by alleged hanging till death.”

The autopsy report exclusively obtained by THE PUNCH in Lagos on Thursday was conducted by Dr. O. L. Lawal, of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

It was further learnt that the blood sample of the deceased had already been taken to a forensic laboratory for analysis.

A top police source at the SCID told our correspondents that the result was being expected on August 2.

One of our correspondents who was at the deceased‘s family house at 1, Ijesha Road, Itire on Thursday quoted the bereaved father as saying that he would only make a categorical statement on the issue after a meeting slated for the evening.

He was on his way to the meeting when our correspondent arrived at the house.

A sibling of the deceased who identified himself simply as Akeem, also told our correspondent that the death of Odubiyi was a great loss to the family.

According to Akeem, the deceased was not only a close confidant of the monarch, but he was also the palace secretary.

He said the youth wing of Itire residents under the aegis of Itire Descendants Youth, was to hold a meeting on the issue at Itire Primary School beside the Itire Police Station.

He also said that the outcome of the meeting would be disclosed to our correspondent on Friday (today).

The monarch, who became the first suspect in the case, had been arrested alongside 10 others, and taken to SCID for interrogation.

After spending hours in police custody, the security agents granted the monarch and other suspects bail.

Our correspondents learnt that another traditional ruler, who satisfied the condition of owning a property in Lagos, stood surety for the embattled monarch.

An investigation by our correspondents on Thursday showed that the monarch had vacated the palace since he was granted bail.

However, a source said the traditional ruler was on the run considering the magnitude and consequences of the alleged offence.

But our correspondents found out that the prime suspect was taking refuge in the palace of another traditional ruler (name withheld) within the metropolis.

Speaking with a resident of the area on Thursday, our correspondents were told that the incident had defiled the palace and it (the palace) needed to be cleansed through the performance of some traditional rites.

Our correspondents also learnt that in Yoruba culture, a monarch is not expected to set his eyes on a corpse and since this had happened, a general purification of the king and the palace was necessary.

The source confirmed to our correspondents that the rites to be performed demanded that the traditional ruler should vacate the palace

When contacted on Thursday, the spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba, denied any knowledge that the monarch was on the run.

Mba said, ”We have conducted the first round of investigation and the suspects were granted bail after satisfying all the conditions.

”I don‘t believe that the suspect has run away or will run away. A surety stood for him and signed the appropriate papers; anytime we need him, we know how to get him.

”Don‘t forget, this is a peculiar case that has generated much public interest. We are still on our investigation and at the appropriate time, we shall come out with our findings.”

Attempts by our correspondents to authenticate the true status of the victim on Thursday showed that he was neither a corps member nor a student of Lagos State University and earlier claimed.

The Public Relations Officer of the National Youth Service Corps, Lagos Office, Mrs. Joys Madaki, told one of our correspondents that the agency had no records of the deceased as a corps member.

Madaki said all efforts at getting the deceased particulars‘ that can link him to the agency had not yielded any fruitful result.

She said, ”We are interested in knowing whether he is truly a corps member and whether he is serving in Lagos or outside the state. There is no concrete information on the deceased so far.

“As far as we are concerned, anybody can wear NYSC uniform and people will take him for a corps member.”

The Chief Security Officer of LASU, Col. Aliyu Usman (rtd), told one of our correspondents that the school was already verifying the authenticity of the claim that the deceased was a Chemical Engineering student in the institution.

As at press time, Usman has not got back to our correspondents.


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