Kogi Indigene Beaten to Death in Ibadan for Siphoning Fuel

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Detectives at the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Iyaganku, Ibadan have been trying to find out the truth in the accusation and counter accusation surrounding the death of Kogi State-born ex-security man, Mustapha Sule, who gave up the ghost a month after he was allegedly beaten and tied up by the staff of a company, who accused him of attempting to siphon diesel from a truck in the company.

The haulage company, Ammex Nigeria Limited, situated at Alomaja, close to the Toll Gate at Ibadan end, was once the employer of the deceased Mustapha where he worked as the security man. He was later joined by one Monsuru Azeez who ironically reportedly raised the alarm that eventually did Mustapha in. Mustapha was said to have fallen out of favour with his boss at Ammex when he was accused of leaving his place of duty even after warning from his boss. On the day he was sacked, he had reportedly gone to barb his hair without being granted permission to leave his duty post.

The deceased found succour in a friend of his, Friday Nwakwo, who was working with AP petrol station sharing the same fence with Ammex and he decided to stay with him while using a motorcycle he had for commercial purpose to fend for himself and his family members. It was gathered that the arrangement was easy because it was Mustapha who helped Friday in securing a job with the petrol station.

However, his decision to stay very close to his former place of work became his undoing. It was gathered that on Monday October 3, 2011, Mustapha went out with his okada but came back at about 10p.m. and informed Friday that he had an accident. He was said to have sustained injury on his head and had his cloth soaked with blood. He had also come in with some drugs in a nylon bag.

Having taken some rest, Mustapha reportedly went to the well which was on AP’s land to wash his cloth in the early hours of Tuesday October 4, at about 3a.m. The next thing his friend Friday said he heard was an argument between some people which sounded as if they were quarrelling. As he came out to see what was happening, he saw Mustapha where he stood and also saw Monsuru running and calling Baba! Baba!! On enquiry from Mustapha on what happened, he narrated how Monsuru came to challenge him where he was washing as if he did not know him, when he (Monsuru) had once worked under him.

Shortly after, Monsuru reportedly  returned with one Gbenga Benjamin, a security guard for one of the streets in the area, and one prominent resident of the area (name withheld). He alleged that Mustapha came into Ammex’s premises with a 50-litre keg and was siphoning diesel from one of the parked truck when he sighted him. Monsuru had said further that on sighting him, Mustapha scaled the fence and jumped into the petrol station premises with the keg while he left behind the hose he was using.

Monsuru and Benjamin allegedly started beating Mustapha but the resident cautioned them and asked them to keep him till day break when the matter would be resolved. Immediately the man left, Monsuru and Benjamin allegedly started beating Mustapha again and thereafter dragged him to Ammex’s premises and tied him with chain and rope. The following morning, they were said to have taken Mustapha to the Toll Gate police station to lodge a report but the Divisional Police Officer rejected him when he saw his condition.

The DPO immediately made an entry of ‘assault occasioning harm’ against those who brought Mustapha and ordered that he be taken to the University College Hospital (UCH) for treatment. He was still undergoing treatment when he died on November 8.

While still working at Ammex, Mustapha had issues relating to money with Monsuru and Monsuru had allegedly sworn that if Mustapha did not pay him, he would die one day with the N1,000. Because of this, some people felt that Monsuru bore malice against Mustapha and that must have prompted his action of setting the deceased up.

Though the suspects were initially charged to court and released on bail, they were re-arrested after Mustapha’s death and were transferred to the State CID for further investigations.

The principal suspect, Monsuru, has denied beating or tying Mustapha, saying that the deceased already had injuries which he learnt that he got from an accident few hours before his ‘arrest’. Monsuru, who said he was a bricklayer before he joined Ammex Company four months as a security man said, “I met Mustapha at Ammex and we both worked as security men. He was sent away by the Managing Director about three months ago when they had a disagreement. He didn’t leave the vicinity completely but went to stay with his friend, Friday, who was working at AP petrol station which is on the next plot to Ammex.

“I informed our Managing Director of Mustapha’s stay next door and my boss told the owner of the petrol station to send him away. The AP’s boss asked Friday to send his friend away but he refused, saying that he could not do that to someone who got him a job. On October 4, Mustapha scaled the fence we shared with AP to siphon fuel from one of my company’s vehicles. I saw him and shouted his name. He dropped the hose, took the keg he brought and escaped through where he initially came in.

“The vigilante people came and brought him to our gate. I went to call one Usman who is our boss’s relation and we stayed with him till day break. Our manager and others came at 6a.m. and the case was reported at Toll gate police station. Policemen came and recorded the scene but said Mustapha was weak and that we should go and treat him. He was taken to UCH and we were detained.

“Twenty one days after, we were taken to Customary Court and were granted bail. We went back to court on Thursday November 10 and the police fame there withdrew the case from court and took us back into custody for further investigations. That was when we learnt that Mustapha was dead”.

The second suspect, 53-year-old Benjamin, also denied knowledge of Mustapha being beaten, claiming that he left the scene with the resident that was invitedand was not aware that the deceased was tied. According to Benjamin, an ex-soldier working as a security man on Engr. Olalekan Street, “I was where I hid at 3a.m. when I heard Monsuru shouting Baba! I asked him what happened and he said he saw someone enter his company’s premises to siphon fuel. I went to call Engr. Olalekan and Monsuru repeated what he told me. They went to call one Usman and we went to the scene.

“I stood at the gate and saw an hose inserted into the tank of a truck with a paint bucket on the ground. Fuel was dripping  from the hose. Monsuru, Usman and the resident came out of the gate and saw Mustapha where he stood at AP. The resident called him and I heard him explaining that he had an accident the night before and was washing his cloth when Monsuru saw him and started shouting at him. Mustapha said it was because of the money issue between them.

“Usman went to pick Mustapha’s okada from where he parked it beside the place he was washing cloth and took it inside Ammex’s compound. The resident asked them to put Mustapha in Ammex’s compound till day break and I left with him. I didn’t know if he was tied or not”.

It was gathered that the corpse had been deposited at the UCH morgue for autopsy. Confirming the story, the Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, ASP Femi Okanlawon said said the suspects had been charged to Chief Magistrate Court I on Friday November 25 for murder while the case was adjourned to December 13 and the suspects remanded in Agodi Prisons.


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