Babatunde Omoyeni, a web designer
who planned to spend his Christmas and
New Year celebrations in the United
States of America, has been killed in
Lagos over N50.
He was to travel on December 10.
After obtaining all travel documents, the
38-year-old decided to go clubbing with
his friends on Saturday.
He was returning when he had a
disagreement with a bus conductor over
the N50 fare and was stabbed to death. Voice learnt from a police
source that angry residents almost
lynched the conductor, who was
identified as Samson Eletu.
He was reportedly saved by a
community leader, who took him to the
Aguda Police Division.
The source said, “The victim was
returning home after a party when he
entered the bus.
Eletu. Photo: Samson Folarin
“He gave the conductor N500, but the
conductor told him he didn’t have N450
change, because the fare was N50.
“When they got to the bus stop, the
man demanded his change and that
started a fight.
“An Alfa in the bus intervened and
separated them. But the conductor,
who was still aggrieved, trailed the
victim to his house.”
It was learnt that Eletu, while armed
with a broken bottle, banged on the
gate into the house.
“As the deceased opened the gate,
Eletu stabbed him. Babatunde took to
his heels, but the conductor chased
him. Unfortunately, he fell down and
the conductor stabbed him repeatedly,”
he added.
It was learnt that Eletu was fleeing from
the scene when he was nabbed by a
suspicious resident who saw blood
stains on his clothes.
The younger sister of the victim,
Blessing Omoyeni, said his brother
would not have died if he was rescued
on time.
She said he spent over one hour in a
pool of blood before he was rushed to
the Lagos University Teaching Hospital,
Idi Araba.
She said, “Nobody was ready to assist
him to the hospital. A man had to throw
himself in front of a commercial bus and
asked the passengers to disembark,
before he could get help. “He was
rushed to LUTH, but they were turned
back at the gate by a doctor who
pronounced him dead on arrival around
12am.
“People started beating the conductor
and almost killed him before he was
rescued and taken to the Aguda Police
Division.”
It was learnt that the victim’s corpse
was deposited at the Isolo General
Hospital mortuary.
His girlfriend, Temiloluwa Ogundayo,
said Babatunde had recently informed
her to prepare for their engagement.
Ogundayo, who lived with Babatunde,
said she was not aware that he had
been killed until the early hours of
Sunday.
“We have dated for over one year and
he told me to meet my sister to ask for
the requirement for our engagement.
He said we would go there on Monday.
“On that Saturday morning before he
went to work, we made love. He called
me around 5pm to prepare food for him
that he would soon be home. I had
done everything and was waiting for
him in the house till 11pm when I
drifted off into sleep.
“Around 1am, he came in and slept
beside me. He rubbed my head with his
hand and I asked him if he had eaten
his food, but he said I should not
bother, that he was fine.
“I went back to sleep and it was around
6am that somebody called me and
asked if I knew he was dead. I jumped
up and looked around the bathroom and
kitchen to know if he was there, but I
couldn’t find him.”
The victim’s friend, Ogunyemi
Olaribigbe, described him as quiet and
gentle, adding that his death was a big
blow to all who knew him.
Thirty-two-year-old Eletu said the victim
attacked him first.
He said, “I am also a driver and I had
parked my bus at about 7pm when I
saw a co-driver who offered to take me
home.
“It was along the way that he decided to
pick passengers and there were eight of
them in the bus.
“I collected money from seven of them,
but he refused to pay and said he knew
me on the street.
“It was at the bus stop that he broke a
bottle and stabbed me in the forehead
and cheek. I also got the same bottle,
but unfortunately I stabbed him in the
neck and he died.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, Joe
Offor, when contacted promised to call
back, but he had yet to do so as of the
time of filing this report.
