Find killers of our son in Bayelsa, family begs police

By Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

The family of Adebayo from Wakajaiye, Ayeda-Ade Local Government Area in Osun State has appealed to the police to fish out the cultists that gruesomely murdered their son, Adebayo Elijah in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The 28-year-old Elijah was murdered by a gang of three suspected cultists on February 7th at Obele, Down Yenagoa, the state capital.

Clement, the cousin of Elijah, who spoke in a tearful voice, said the family was more traumatized when some people living in the area claimed the police knew the culprits but were powerless to arrest and prosecute them.

He said the illustrious son of the family could not be killed like a chicken on the streets of Yenagoa on a broad daylight at about 9am while the police looked the other way.

Clement explained that his cousin, a cobbler, was fond of traveling to Yenagoa from Agabara in Ogun State, where they live, to sell his hand-made shoes.

“Clement is an orphan. He is my cousin and I took care of him and his siblings. He was a shoemaker and he was fond of taking his shoes to Yenagoa for sale. He found his market in Yenagoa and he had hope in the city despite our warnings that the town was not safe.

“On the day of the incident, some boys about three of them accosted him and demanded money from him. He was carrying his bag of shoes when they came. But he told them he had no money. They wanted to take the bag of shoes, but he resisted them.

“They attacked him with sticks. He tried to run away but he fell to the ground. They used heavy stones to smash his head. What kind of barbarism is allowed go on in Bayelsa? My cousin is a promising young man. How can they kill him that way?

“When we carried out inquiries, we were told that some cultists popularly called ThankGod, Biggie and Sinner were behind the cruel murder of my cousin. We were told that the police were aware of their evil operations but had been powerless to arrest them.

“I am appealing to the police to prove the public wrong by smoking out these people that killed my beloved cousin. I am begging the commissioner of police in that state to do something about our case”.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswat, confirmed the killing and said the police were doing everything possible to arrest the culprits.