Adejumo Afeez is just 21 but he looks older than his age.
This might not be unconnected with his current travails. He
is cooling off in the custody of the Department of Criminal
Investigation, Yaba, Lagos, for stabbing his bosom friend,
Ibitoye Saheed, 28, leading to the victim’s eventual death.
Afeez is evidently full of regrets.
Police sources said Afeez inflicted a severe injury on
Saheed’s joint cavity (the inner part of the elbow) in the
course of a fight between them during the Sallah
celebrations last Thursday, causing him to bleed and die
before the next morning.
Afeez, who was all tears as he made to explain his side of
the story to Saturday PUNCH few days ago, stated that the
incident, which happened in the Onipanu area of Lagos on
Thursday, September, 24, 2015, had left some bad taste in
the mouth of all concerned.
He recalled that he had been living with Saheed, who was
married and had a child, for a long time and they were
very close. He added they had both gone out in the evening
to have some fun in the spirit of the Sallah break around
Abidogun Street, Onipanu, Lagos, when the incident
happened.
While Saheed, a motor electrician, was inside a popular bar
on the street, enjoying himself, Afeez, who is a dancer by
profession, was outside the same bar, doing what he knows
how to do best; dancing to entertain passers-by. He said it
was around 9pm when a moving vehicle splashed dirty
water on him, which got him angry.
He said, “It was around 9pm, and while I was dancing to
the music blaring from a DJ’s stand, Saheed was inside,
drinking and watching the television. I was still arguing with
the driver of the vehicle, trying to make them apologise to
me when Saheed suddenly came out of the bar where he
was drinking, obviously he was drunk, and started
supporting those people.
“I thought he was even coming out to support me but he did
otherwise. The people I was fighting with had gone but the
two of us faced ourselves and we started fighting.
Afeez explained that the fisticuffs were so severe that it
drew the attention of the people around.
He continued, “Suddenly, Saheed grabbed my neck and
wanted to strangle me. He said he would kill me because he
said I was beginning to disrespect him. He ran inside,
brought outside a cutlass and used it to cut my left hand.
“Meanwhile, I had the knife we used to kill ram in the
morning in my pocket. In retalitaion, I brought out the
knife and used it to cut the hand that he used to hold my
neck, and blood started gushing out of his hand.”
When asked why he was carrying a knife in his pocket,
Afeez explained that Saheed told him to take the knife
along as they were going out. According to him, the blood
gushing out of Saheed’s hand continued for about three
minutes, but they never knew the end was near for him.
He added that Saheed soaked him with his blood, and after
the fight, he dropped the cutlass and entered the house,
while he also left.
Afeez maintained that he had to go and sleep somewhere
else because of the fight between them but when he went to
his house the next morning, he learnt his friend was dead.
He explained, “I know he lost so much blood, and the blood
was gushing out for about three minutes but I didn’t know
that could lead to anything. I have been living with him for
a long time but I couldn’t go to his house that night because
of the fight, so he wouldn’t hurt me in retaliation. I don’t
think he went to the hospital but my own injury was mild, so
I just cleaned it.
“I went to his house the following day. I checked where we
used to sleep but I didn’t see him, so, I thought he had
gone to the hospital. But suddenly, I saw people gathered
and among them was his brother-in-law. Suddenly, some
of those people started shouting and pointing at me as the
killer.
“His brother-in-law came after me and cut my leg with a
cutlass, including my nerves and they all left me in pains,
while I was screaming for help. That was how I got to the
police station. Even though he wasn’t sure if the knife
attack led to the death of his friend, Afeez, who is
currently regretting his action, said he if he knew his action
would lead to the death of his “good friend” he would not
have retaliated.
“If I had known it would be severe, I wouldn’t have done
anything to him when he cut my hand with a cutlass. We
used to eat and move around together. He was my friend. I
need help because I’m in pains. His brother-in-law
successfully cut my leg and all the nerves in my left leg
have been cut off.”
Police sources told our correspondent that the suspect would
soon be charged to court.
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