Taiwo Jimoh
A pregnant woman, Mrs. Becky Chidi, has narrated how members of the Oodua People's Congress (OPC), New Era, attacked and stabbed her 35-year-old husband, Mr. Tochukwu Chidi, to death.
Becky, a mother of three, explained that Tochukwu was attempting to make peace, when the OPC members killed him.
The bereaved woman said the February 13, 2021, incident, which led to Tochukwu's death would remain etched in her memory and the memories of her children.
She said: “On February 13, my husband went to his best friend’s wedding ceremony at Bariga. I heard that a fight broke out when my husband and the groom were returning the unused drinks to the sellers. They wanted a refund in order to take care of some other issues at home.
“On their way to where they bought the drinks, there was gridlock at Temple Street, Bariga. It was about 9pm and my husband came out of the vehicle to control the traffic. He wanted them to quickly get to their destination. While he was controlling the traffic, some OPC men in a mini-bus, with other vehicles, arrived at the scene and ordered the groom and all his friends, who were in their vehicle to leave the road for them to go. They said that they were OPC members that nobody could stop them from being the first that would drive through.”
It was learnt that one of the groom’s friends approached the rowdy OPC men and told them to calm down, that everyone would drive through and that one of their friends was already controlling the traffic.
She said: “Suddenly, one of the OPC men brought out a charm and threatened to hit the guy who had approached him. That was how a fight broke out between the OPC men and the groom’s group of friends. When my husband saw that the groom and friends were fighting, he left the vehicles he was controlling and dashed to separate the fighters. He urged both factions to take it easy, that everyone would go out of the traffic. He was still placating them when one of the OPC men suddenly appeared from nowhere and hit my husband with a charm from behind.
"Another OPC member was said to have pounced on him and beat him mercilessly, and then stabbed him. Passers-by, who saw what was happening couldn’t intervene because they were all scared. The OPC men were armed with charms, guns and other dangerous weapons."
The widow added that after hitting Tochukwu with a charm, the OPC men continued to stab him, even as he lay on the ground, bleeding profusely.
She added: “It was when policemen came and fired some shots into the air that the OPC men escaped from the scene. When the groom and his friends saw my husband bleeding, they immediately rushed him to a private hospital in the community. The hospital rejected and referred him to Gbagada General Hospital, where he was later confirmed dead. The doctor, who attended to him, asked his friends how the clash occurred; fortunately, some of the OPC men who sustained injuries during the fight came to the same hospital for treatment of their injuries. My husband’s friends were able to identify them and that was how they were arrested by security guards at the hospital.”
Becky stated that she was shocked when police announced that it was only one OPC man that attacked and killed Tochukwu.
She said: “There were eight OPC men in that mini-bus on that fateful day. I don't know why the police want to exonerate those suspects. All I want for my husband is justice. Those OPC men have caused my children and I a great loss. My husband and I have three children already and now I’m presently pregnant with a fourth child.”
Tochukwu’s younger brother, Anayo, said he was in the Akoka area of Yaba, when he received a phone call that his brother had been murdered.
He said: "I immediately rushed to the scene, only to discover that he had been moved to the General Hospital, Gbagada. It was at Gbagada that he was confirmed dead by doctors.
"The deceased is the fourth child in a family of seven. He was a calm and easy going person. He didn’t talk much and was a generous person. It’s quite unfortunate that we lost him. Our mother is not aware that Tochukwu is late! If we tell her, it means we are going to bury two corpses. We want justice for him and also want compensation for his wife and children he left behind.
“None of the OPC leaders have approached us. The New Era OPC has not reached out to us, but Gani Adams faction of the OPC denied involvement in the murder of my brother.”
Tochukwu’s elder brother, Chinonye, said he was in Bayelsa State when he received a phone and the caller told him that his brother had been murdered.
He added: “The following day, when I got to Lagos, I went to the mortuary to check on my brother where he was packed. Tochukwu was the best among my siblings. Many of his friends are still mourning him. We can't get such a person in our family anymore. Whenever there was a crisis between my siblings and I, he was always the one pleading with me to allow the matter to go.
"I was told the case has been charged to court for prosecution. I want justice for him because he was an easy going person.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, explained that policemen attached to the Bariga Police Division arrested the OPC members.
The PPRO also said four OPC members - Sunday Onilede (35), Azan Razak (35), Abdullahi Ibrahim (29) and Fatai Taiwo (40) - had been arrested in connection with Tochukwu's murder.
He said: “The suspects attacked the deceased and inflicted injuries on him. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment, but was pronounced dead by a doctor.
"Meanwhile, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has condemned the act and directed that the matter be transferred to the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, for proper investigation and prosecution.”
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