Sebastine Ebhuomhan


Two weeks after the corpse of a 28-year old man, Abiodun Yusuf Odubiyi, was found in the palace of the Onitire of Itire, Lagos State, the police have not come out with an official cause of death of the Chemical Engineering graduate.

However, the deceased’s father, Chief Mukaila Odubiyi, believes that some people killed his son and want the world to see it as a suicide. On account of this incident, things seem to be falling apart for the Itire community in Surulere.

Odubiyi, who was father of a child, was found dead inside the palace of Oba Lateef Dauda on Saturday, July 19, 2008.

The particular spot was marked under a tree which has no shrine anywhere near.

The direct question arising from the tragedy, which residents said was now threatening the community’s peaceful co-existence, came from the late Abiodun’s father, Chief Odubiyi, who is the Asalu of Itire.

“Abiodun was found dead with blood stains, kneeling down and facing the ground, with a rope on his neck. I believe strongly that he was strangulated after which he was hung on the tree with a rope to make it look like he committed suicide,” Odubiyi said before firing his poser to the government, the police and the public.

“Can somebody who supposedly hung himself be found in a kneeling position and facing the ground?” Odubiyi asked.

Our correspondent visited the spot on which Abiodun was found dead. His visitation followed a meeting the Odubiyi family held with him at their home and in the palace.

Apart from Odubiyi, others at the palace meeting included, the Otun Oba, Chief Tajudeen Odubiyi; the Asiwaju, Chief Adisa Olatunji; the leader of Itire Descendants Youth Association (registered), Alhaji Sakiru Aribidesi and Odubiyi’s eldest child, Ade.

Observations reportedly made by early callers to the scene of the incident could probably trust the suicide assertion to the dustbin of doubts for a nuber of reasons.

First, Odubiyi said there were blood stains on the passage leading to the spot.

Second, the height of the tree on which Abiodun allegedly hung himself, as observed by our correspondent, was no more than the height of an ordinary human being.

Third, the worn-out rope he allegedly used compared to the neatness of its severance does not support a suicide claim.

Fourth, the spot is not as secured from the entire backyard of Dauda’s large household to support the inability of any member discovering the corpse for three days.

This last observation is reinforced by another, which claimed that Dauda, on July 17, first asked Odubiyi about the whereabouts of Abiodun, exactly a day after he was last seen by anyone.

Odubiyi had promptly rushed to the palace to reply “Kabiyesi,” as Dauda was fondly called, that he too had not seen Abiodun since they had the previous day’s Muslim morning prayer, Subhi.

Although residing in the palace for about eight years at the behest of one of Dauda’s sons, Abiodun made it a point of duty to always visit his wife, child, father and family members daily at the family house.

More so, Abiodun, an alumnus of the University of Lagos, had to do that to always brief his father about effort he was making to secure a job since his return from Calabar, where he served as a youth corps member.

It was after the lack of communication that his family declared him missing on Wednesday, July 16, with searches that extended to mortuaries, hospitals, police stations, dark spots etc.

Furthermore, Odubiyi supported his question with the hasty way the police released the crime suspects on bail even before any progress had been made on the investigation.

He said this fact could have empowered the traditional ruler to go on a media campaign immediately he was released on bail.

Odubiyi said, “On Tuesday, July 29, members of my family heard him on Radio Lagos claiming that Abiodun committed suicide by hanging himself. That claim is absolute lie.

“I am disappointed in the way all those arrested were hastily released. But I still have confidence in the ability of the police to find and bring to book the killers of my son.”

Notwithstanding his grouse, Odubiyi thanked the Divisional Police Officer of the Itire Police Station, Ade Oyekan. “He did his job professionally,” the griefing father said.

Odubiyi confirmed the visitation of forensic personnel from the Lagos State Police Command, who extracted the blood samples.

He thanked also, the Obas of Awori Land, who visited the palace to express their condolence.

He did not rule out a possible influence of the police by the state’s traditional institution in the same way he could not rule out the possibility of Abiodun being a victim of ritual activity.

Notably, Odubiyi would not want the tragic death of Abiodun to destroy the Awori and Yoruba tradition.

He said, “The death of my son has nothing to do with tradition but the wickedness of a few people.

“I have been a part of the traditional system for over 60 years through my late grandfather and father. So, I know very well that the Awori use only four-legged animals and birds to appease our deities, not human beings.”

On the relationship between him and Dauda, whom he called his close confidant, Odubiyi said, “We had no problem. We, including the other chiefs, ate and drank together.”

As investigation into the death of Abiodun, who was the assistant secretary-general of the youth association progresses, the community cannot wait to get the report.

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