Date: 2017-05-25

There was perplexity among residents of Okelele area of Ilorin following the sudden murder of an intending hajj pilgrim, Abdulrafiu Alade Aloba and discovery of his body at the Moro river bank in Moro Local Governemt Area on Monday, National Pilot can report.

The victim who hails from Aloba compound in the area but concurrently travels to Mandala village was said to have stormed Ilorin on Friday for the 2017 hajj registration but was allegedly lured by some friends suspected to be responsible for his death on Saturday.

According to reports, the victim was macheted till life was sniffed out of him. When his body was eventually found at the river bank on Monday, flies were sighted feeding on his lifeless body.

Ever since Aloba's body was discovered, the question on the lips of his family and neighbours has being, who could have carried out the dastardly act? National Pilot learnt that, the deceased was first declared missing on Saturday and all efforts to locate him proved abortive including a check at the Oloje Police station.

When our reporter visited family residence of the deceased at Okelele area, there were scores of sympathisers wailing over the untimely death of the middle-aged man.

Speaking with this medium, the wife of the departed, Taye Abdulrafiu Aloba said the incident came as a rude shock to her.

"My husband arrived from the village around 11pm last Friday for hajj registration and the following day he left home for the hajj camp around 6:30am. "When it was 9:30 am, I put a call through to him, I was informed the programme has started and he later returned my call around 3:30pm, saying he was done with the exercise.

"He then asked me about the message I was asked to deliver to his sister at Dada area of Okelele which I informed him I am yet to attend to and he told me to forget about it that he will visit her himself. "

Mrs Aloba further stated that the deceased returned to her shop at Okolowo around 6:30pm adding that his friend, Alhaji ibraheem Ogala, a native doctor dropped him at Oloje after which he entered a bus to Okolowo.

"He was telling me about the registration exercise before asking to go and repair his radio following directive that all intending hajj pilgrims should be listening to the radio for further information.

"My husband told me he will take the radio to the village with him. Suddenly, he received a call from his handset and made mention of one Dubudubu whose real name is Moshood from Iyere Compound.

Since then the whole family has not sighted my husband and we have been looking for him until I was informed that his lifeless body had been found somewhere."

Another family sources told National Pilot that, when they got to the radio repairer to know the whereabouts of Aloba, he said he left after he was told to come the following day for his radio as he was about to close for the day. The technician also disclosed that the deceased received a call from an unknown person to him (radio repairer) before Aloba left.

It was also revealed that during the search at Okolowo area, a dry gin vendor known as Iya Ijebu confirmed that she sighted Aloba and two of his friends; Dubudubu and Gani at her joint on Saturday.

"She said the three of them came to her joint to sip local gin, adding that when it was 10pm, Dubudubu asked the deceased to follow him to a place but he declined saying it was already late.

According to the woman, Aloba told Dubudubu that, any attempt to betray his trust will lead to the wrath of God for Dubudubu. When the dry gin vendor sought to know what could be responsible for such altercation, Dubudubu was said to have declined comment. They all subsequently entered a taxi which was allegedly driven by Dubudubu.

While the family embarked on a search party, Iya Ijebu requested that they ask about his where about from friends. "On getting to Dubudubu's house he was met sleeping and was asked about his friend, he denied knowledge of his where about but when confronted by Iya Ijebu, he claimed Aloba alighted from the car at Agbarigidoma area."

The family sources further stated that after the killing of Aloba, his assailants used his mobile phone to call his 20-year-old daughter, Shukura, who resides in the village that her father’s body had been found at Moro.

"The daughter said she could not identify the voice of the person that spoke with her adding that they also rained curses on her before terminating the call and when she attempted calling back, the phone had been switched off."

Meanwhile, the two suspects; Dubudubu and Gani have been arrested and are presently undergoing investigations at the State Criminal Investigation Department, police headquarters in Ilorin.

The deceased wife stressed that, penultimate Friday, Dubudubu came to meet her at the shop demanding to see her husband who was not available then.

"While he was talking to me, my husband met us and Dubudubu requested for the herbs he asked my husband to bring from the village."

The bereaved Taye said her husband, before his demise told her that he was a member of a Coperative Society alongside his friend known as Alhaji ibraheem Ogala, a native doctor.

"My husband told me that Ogala had collected his contributions at the Cooperative and he asked my husband to collect his and lend him the money. He also asked my husband to lie that he would need the money for his hajj expenses.

"My husband declined saying he would never do such as his brother had already paid for his flight and other expenses and any attempt to do such will infuriate his sponsor. "Ogala started spreading falsehood to the public that he was the one sponsoring my husband's trip to Saudi Arabia because he is poor."

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi told our reporter that he is not aware of the incident adding that he will confirm from that police station and get back to us.

As at the time filling this report, no message or call was received from the PPRO in that regard. Several calls put to him and text messages sent to him were not responded to either.