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.
Punch Metro 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.“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,”
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.”
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.
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