MURDERED ON CHRISTMAS EVE

The family of a commercial bus driver, Isaac Popoola, who was allegedly killed by LASTMA officers on Christmas Eve, are yet to get justice, writes GBENGA ADENIJI

An observant visitor to the residence of the Popoolas situated in Egbeda, Akowonjo, Lagos State, will notice a ram tethered at a spot within the compound. The ram was bought to celebrate the New Year by the family’s breadwinner, Isaac Popoola. That was not to be as he was allegedly assaulted and killed last Christmas Eve by two officials of the state Traffic Management Authority in the Oshodi area of the state.

He was buried on January 10. The deceased’s first son, Ibukunoluwa, while speaking with our correspondent in the family house, said the ram would be slaughtered during the 41-day remembrance prayers for Popoola. He said it could not be slaughtered during the New Year because of his father’s demise.

Popoola’s conductor, Aremu Salawu, had said two LASTMA officials, Adesanya Olatunde and Oludele Ogunrinde, molested the deceased around Brown Bus Stop, resulting in his death.

According to him, the deceased’s bus with number plate, XL166SNK, conveying 17 passengers from Igando/Isheri was nearing Brown Junction when a LASTMA pick-up van crossed it.

He added that after two LASTMA men blocked the bus, Olatunde allegedly hit Pooola’s head against the steering and door frame of the bus several times before he died. Salawu also said there was a struggle for the steering during which the LASTMA official used the metallic edge of the seat belt to hit the driver’s head while attempting to forcibly take over the bus.

Ibukunoluwa, who said the state government had not reached out to the family since his father’s death, stated that there was neither a representative from the government nor from LASTMA during his father’s burial.

According to him, the family was left to bear the pain alone even though it was the officials of the agency that allegedly killed his father.

“My mentor, father and confidant is gone. My father was the kind of person who would give one a piece of advice and one would have no reason to regret it. But now, they have killed him. On January 10 when he was buried, nobody came from the state government to commiserate with the family. We buried him all alone. It is clear that the government has abandoned us,” he said.

The graduate of accounting, who is awaiting mobilisation from the National Youth Service Corps, added that the government should apprehend and prosecute the principal suspect.

“The principal suspect is on the run. Justice is not coming and we will not go to court. The government should apprehend and prosecute the fleeing LASTMA officer. For us, our breadwinner is no more. But, the principal suspect should be prosecuted and the family compensated. His death has affected me and my siblings in all aspects. I remember how I had to rush to Area F Police Command to attend to the case just as I came back from my school in Kwara State,” he added.

Besides, he explained that his mother usually cried whenever she saw the picture of her late husband.

The second child, 24-year-old Gbenga, was pensive when our correspondent asked him about his late father. He briefly abandoned the clothes he was washing and said, “We are helpless. There is nothing we can do. We leave everything to God since we cannot bring him back to life.”

Other siblings of Ibukunoluwa are Fisayo (22), Samuel (20) and Abigail (9). Both Fisayo and Samuel like Gbenga, are still seeking admission into tertiary institutions. They were not available when our correspondent visited their home.

The mien of Mrs. Modupe Popoola showed she was yet to get over the shock of her husband’s death. As she entered the sitting room to welcome our correspondent, she was full of smiles until discussions centred on the Christmas Eve tragedy.  Intermittently, she looked at the Holy Bible placed under a table in the sitting room as she spoke gently.

Modupe stated that as tradition demanded, she had been indoors since the death of her husband.

She said, “My husband was always around our last born who is physically challenged. Since his death, I have been in doors catering for the family especially the welfare of our last child who is the only female.”

According to her, she did not initially believe the news of the death of her husband when it was broken until she saw his corpse at the Ikeja Area F Police Command.

“I was preparing to go to church on Christmas Eve with the family when the news came. It is a very bad situation and I have decided to move ahead even though the pain is deep.

“We are not going to court. Going to court or not, will not bring back my husband; it cannot raise him from the grave. What has happened cannot be reversed. I am alone now and I do not intend to add to what I am going through. I am lonely without my husband. God will give us justice. Vengeance is of the Lord. He alone will give us justice,” she said.

The bus was seen parked in the compound close to the grave of the deceased who hailed from Osun State.

A reliable source in LASTMA who craved anonymity because of the Lagos State order that barred public officials from speaking to the press, said the agency had disowned  the officers and the matter had become a police case.

When our correspondent contacted the Lagos State Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Damascus Ozoani on Thursday, he said he would get back to our correspondent. But he was yet to do so as at press time.