OduduwaNews has just gathered that an Okada man called Ayuba Sarafa committed suicide on Friday in one uncompleted building at Amuloko area of Olorunsogo, Ona Ara Local Government, Ibadan, Oyo State.
His uncle, Kazeem Tijani, said since Ayuba went to work on Thursday mornimg, he didn’t see him till he went to sleep at night.
It was said that Sarafa was seen hanging in an uncompleted building after alot of efforts made by his relatives to ascertain his whereabouts when he could not come home having gone to work since Thursday morning. According to his uncle, he said they got to know that the deceased was inside an uncompleted building when they called his number and discovered that his phone’s ringtone was being heard very close to the said uncompleted building and on hearing the ringtone they decided to venture into action immediately by searching the building thoroughly untill they found him hanging.
OduduwaNews ascertained from naijatodaynews that the two black plastic bags were seen on the ground with his pair of sandals also flung there. According to some residents, items found in the bags included: a white garment (Jalamia), two types of perfume, a new white singlet, chin chin, biscuits and other personal effects. He used a white handkerchief as a face mask.
Asked what he felt could have caused Ayuba’s death, his uncle, a native of Apomu in the Isokan Local Government Area of Osun State, whose business is sale of scraps, said: “Ayuba got the motorcycle on hire purchase basis and he was paying the instalments adequately. He was my brother’s son. He was not indebted to anyone and he was not starving at all. He was not married. He has been living with me for the past two to three years. He was working with me before he got Okada. He was initially a tailor and he was doing fine. We have searched his room but we could not find any note that he could have left, though we could not search his body. I have called our relations in Apomu; they are on their way”.
Speaking with the Chairman of the Okada Riders Association at Amuloko where Ayuba was a member, Mr. Oluwatosin James, described Ayuba as a very cool and easy-going rider. According to him, “The news of Ayuba’s death came to us as a rude shock. It is this morning that we heard of the news at the Park. He was very reticent and would not fight anybody. Once he did his okada business in the morning, he would go and park and go to his uncle’s shop to assist him. Out of N390,000 that he got the Okada on instalment, has paid up to N77,000 that is remaining. There was no issue of threat to him from the person who gave him the okada. In fact, the person is like a brother to him. So, we are confounded over this incident”, he said regrettably.
As at the time of filing this report, the body of Ayuba was still dangling as traditional worshippers were making arrangements to bring it down for sacrifice to be performed lest the death turned a pestilence in the cimmunity.
A police officer from Akanran Division was also on ground to make proper documentation on the incident before burial would take place. Landlords in the area were stunned and many of them were short of words.