Blog

Rumours are that He was asked to testify in a fraud case so they killed him. Who will ever have the nerve to do the right things . RIP. Mike Ajari. Brunnel Energy.

Mike Ajari, a sleepy street in Sabo area of Ojodu, Lagos on Tuesday witnessed a gory killing that shook the entire area.

After the close of work on the fateful day, the victim, Felix Adebayo, an accountant with Brunnel Energy, a foreign human resources and consultancy firm based in Victoria Island, Lagos, had returned to his residence at No 7, Mike Ajari Street, where neighbours said he had lived for close to six years.

As he approached the gates in his official car, however, he was oblivious of the danger that lurked in the corner. Unknown to him, a man had laid an ambush for him at the entrance to the house where he lived.

A neighbour who pleaded not to be named for security reasons, said as he came down from the Nissan car and proceeded to open the gate, the stranger walked up to him, pretending to have something to discuss with him. Then suddenly, he pulled a pistol and shot him in the neck.

A co-resident, who also pleaded anonymity for the same reason, said, “We were in the house and preparing to sleep around 9.45 pm when we heard the sound of a gunshot. We all rushed out to see what was happening, only to get to the gate and found Mr Adebayo struggling in a pool of blood.”

It was gathered that as soon as he was shot, his attacker entered Adebayo‘s car and zoomed off. And since then, all the efforts to retrieve the car have been abortive.

Neighbours rushed out only to find Adebayo gasping. “We kept shouting his name but there was no response. He continued to bleed profusely,” a resident said.

Confusion was said to have ensued as neighbours and passers-by made frantic efforts to save his life. Unfortunately, he he gave up the ghost there and then.

The attention of the policemen at Grammar School Police Station, Ojodu was drawn to the dastardly act. The policemen were said to have responded promptly and took the corpse to the morgue of Isolo General Hospital, Lagos.

”We had to take the body to Isolo General Hospital mortuary due to our inability to raise some money required to keep the body at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital mortuary. But later, the body was moved back to the Ikeja mortuary and the autopsy had already been done,” a family source said. It was a tragic end to the promising career of the 43-year-old employee of the oil and gas company, who only three months ago marked the christening of his youngest child with pump and circumstance. “His eldest child is two years old and he did the naming of his youngest child three months ago,” said a resident who identified himself simply as Olu.

A resident of the area told Saturday Punch that a few hours before the incident, three strange men in black cloths were seen surveying the area. Some people said they saw them making calls on their mobile phones.

Associates of the late accountant described him as an easy-going fellow who would not hurt a fly.

He was survived by his wife, with two children and an aged mother. ”The death has thrown the family into mourning because he was the breadwinner of the family. Three of his younger ones are still in school,” a source close to the family said.

His younger brother, Gbenga Adebayo who described the death as ‘shocking’ said that family members were learning to accept their fate. “He was the breadwinner of the family and we believe he had acted well his own part. What can we do? It is only God that can avenge for someone,” he said.

His wife, Mrs Tayo Adebayo, who was surrounded by sympathisers on Thursday was speechless. “What can I say? She asked rather rhetorically. “I have handed everything over to God. It is only God that can judge,” she said.

His co-tenants told our correspondent that he started living in the house as a bachelor.

“He was here before he got married. After marriage, he continued to live here. We are like one family and we are all touched by his death,” the landlord of the house, who simply identified herself as Adesuwa said. As learnt, Adebayo chose to live in Lagos because of his job, leaving his wife and children in Ibadan, Oyo State. “He goes to Ibadan to see his family every weekend,” said a co-tenant who did not want his name in print.

The news of his death was said

to have been broken to the

members of his family as well

as his employers the

following day. His wife, who is nursing a three-month-old baby, was said to have collapsed like a pack of cards, while his siblings also cried uncontrollably. Sorrow was also said to have enveloped the office when the news of his assassination was broken to his employers.

The office, where he was said to have occupied a strategic position before his death, was said to be helping the police to unravel the mystery beside his assassination.

When our correspondent called at he office on Tuesday, efforts to speak with some of his colleagues yielded no fruit. A foreigner and director of the company who pleaded not to be named, said the company would not want to comment on the tragic incident untl the police had concluded their investigations. He said, “Brunel Energy is unable comment at this stage because the matter is in the hands of the police.”

The director also said they had their lawyer’s instruction not to say anything so as not to jeopardise the investigations being carried out by the police. “We do not want anything to affect police findings,” the director said. He also would not volunteer a comment on the rumour that Adebayo uncovered a major fraud in the company shortly before he was killed.

It was also rumoured that while those who allegedly perpetrated the fraud had been nailed and arrested, Adebayo was about being used as the prosecution witness anytime the perpetrators of the fraud were made to face the wrath of the law. ”He has a lot of facts and documents and I want to believe he was to be used as a key prosecution witness. But before they could do that, he was cleared out of the way,” the source who sought anonymity said.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba said he was not aware of the killing when Saturday Punch contacted him on Wednesday. He promised to contact the appropriate police division for necessary information relating to the incident. However, several calls made to his telephone on Thursday were not answered.

It was gathered that arrangements were being made to bury the slain accountant at his residence in Ibadan.