32-year-old commercial driver felled by stray bullet - Three weeks to his wedding

Late Samuel Ayeni

Adebayo Waheed writes on the sad and abrupt end of a 32-year-old commercial bus driver who was hit by a bullet from unknown source while trying to make a living for himself.

On Tuesday, 12 February, 2008, the dream of a 32-year-old commercial bus driver, Samuel Ayeni, to become a husband and perhaps a father was recently shattered when he was felled by bullet from a gun shot by yet to be identified person in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, three weeks to his wedding. He was sent to his early grave, leaving his hearthrob, family members and friends mourning.

Like every promising young man, determined to make a living through hard work and become a successful and responsible husband and father, Samuel had left home in search of daily bread as a commercial bus driver plying Challenge – Apata route. Unknown to him and members of his family, fate had it in stock that he would not return home on that day.

Even his family members did not forsee any premonition that their bread winner might not return home to continue with the responsibility of shouldering their needs.

He was doing what he knew best, driving, when the bullet hit him from nowhere, and before his conductor could know what was happening, Samuel had given up the ghost.

Not knowing what to do, the bus conductor decided to take him to a nearby police station to formally report the incident. After several attempts at various police stations, he got to Oluyole Police Station from where he was directed to Iyaganku Police Station because the incident took place within its jurisdiction.

The father of the deceased, Mr. Johnson Ayeni, who broke down in tears while confirming the death of his son to the Nigerian Tribune said “I am finished, there is nothing I can do again in my life.

“Samuel has been the breadwinner of the family since I lost my wife some years back. He was the first born of our four children and he has been responsible for the education and other needs of the family, especially his junior ones.

“In fact, I am ready to die because there is nothing left for me again. I have been struggling to give them the best training they can think of since my wife died but now I am left with nothing. His death is a set back for me and the other children,” he told Nigerian Tribune in tears.

According to him, when he was told that his son (Samuel) had been shot dead around 10 p.m at Mobil, along M.K.O. Abiola way, I was shocked and asked who could have been responsible for this dastardly act.

“I was told that Samuel’s friend (Sunday) was with him when the incident happened and that he had been taken to Oluyole Police Station.

“At the Oluyole Police Station, I was not allowed to see his lifeless body as both the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) declined comments on the matter” he said. He added that the following day, he saw some of the deceased’s friends who came to inform him that the DPO wanted to see him and when I got there, he was informed that the incident was being investigated.

He added that all efforts to get explanation on how his son was killed and who killed him had failed to yield any positive result. “The police have not told me what actually happened to my son whose wedding arrangements were in top gear,” he added.

When Nigerian Tribune visited the scene of the incident, sources said that some policemen shot sporadically on Tuesday night but did not know if the bullets hit anyone.

According to them, the shooting took place between Akinyemi and Mobil areas of the state capital.

One Mallam who sells suya at Mobil bus stop told the Nigerian Tribune that there was shooting by some policemen but nobody was hit by the bullet.

Another trader also confirmed that there was shooting by policemen along the Ring Road but “I don’t think that there was any casualty.”

When contacted, the Oyo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Ms. Bisi Okuwobi, confirmed the incident but did not say whether the bullet which killed the deceased came from the police.

According to her, the incident happened around Mobil area at about 10 p.m but was reported to the police around 12 midnight.

She told Nigerian Tribune in a telephone interview that the incident happened when late Samuel was on the wheels and that nobody could actually say where the bullet came from.

“The bus conductor was with him when the incident happened. He decided to take him to a police station to formally report the matter. After trying some police stations, he got to Oluyole from where he was directed to Iyaganku police station because it happened under its jurisdiction,” she said.

The police image maker could not however, confirm whether the deceased was hit by police bullet but said the matter was being investigated.