Posted by By Moyo Fabiyi & Tunde Lemuel on
With tears rolling down his eyes, Mr. Akintola Akinjogbin, father of slain NYSC member, Ibukun Oluwatosin Akinjogbin, who was killed during the Jos mayhem, yesterday, in Meiran, Lagos narrated how his son was brutally murdered by rioters in the Tin City, on Friday.
With tears rolling down his eyes, Mr. Akintola Akinjogbin, father of slain NYSC member, Ibukun Oluwatosin Akinjogbin, who was killed during the Jos mayhem, yesterday, in Meiran, Lagos narrated how his son was brutally murdered by rioters in the Tin City, on Friday.
Speaking during a condolence visit by the Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Lagos state, Mr. Anthony Ani, to his home, Pa Akinjogbin said Ibukun's head was cut off by his assailants who stormed the room where he and others were hiding.
'My son was soaked in his blood and his skull was shattered by his assailant who refused his pleas,' the old man stated.
'Prior to his death, Ibukun was always calling us, relating to the family the step-by-step account of the movement of the assailants.
'There were six of them in the house of his uncle who works in Abuja. The three men were abducted by the assailants who initially attempted to rape the women. But after entreaties, they left the women to concentrate on the men.'
'After they had left, the women started a frantic search for the abducted men. They saw the blood-soaked body of my son, his skull was broken. His cousin was slaughtered in the same manner a ram was slaughtered in the neck.
'The wife of the landlord narrated the gruesome murder to me on phone. She added that if the facts were not suppressed, those massacred might be up to a thousand.
'After they had killed Ibukun and two other corps members, they set the house and others in the neighbourhood on fire. The house belongs to my brother, Bisi Akinjogbin, who works in Abuja. His wife, family and corps members were residing in the house, situated at the Katako Junction area of 7-UP, Jos.
'When he had been killed, we continued to call his GSM number. It was ringing without reply. When, finally, the call was picked, it was a Hausa man speaking on his phone. He informed us that: 'your brother has been killed…' and later he switched off the phone,' Pa Akinjogbin recounted.
He reiterated his earlier call for a review of the NYSC scheme, if it is not scrapped, because of the dangers corps members are exposed to. According to him, corps members are exposed to carnage on the roads, attack by armed robbers and religious or political mayhem.
'In our days, I can remember well that we enjoyed serving our fatherland. But these days, many things have changed. They now look for mammy markets where to eat due to poor feeding. The last time my son visited home, I gave him N20,000 to support his feeding,' Pa Akinjogbin disclosed.
He said he was fond of Ibukun though he was the third in a family of four children. Others, he said, referred to him as 'Ibukun the baby', adding that: 'he was brilliant and lived a holy life worthy of emulation by every christian.'
Pa Akinjogbin said he planned to ask his son his plan for wedding before his death because 'Ibukun was not interested in the amorous lifestyles of many youths of today. I've never seen him play around with ladies.'