Nurudeen Olokodana’s parents , the final year undergraduate of the Tai Solarin University of Education in Ijebu-Ode, whose secret burial was discovered about three weeks ago, have refuted speculation that their son was a cultist and have opened up on the cause of his death.
The deceased parents gave the details in an interview with journalists in Ijebu-Ode, saying that contrary to the speculation that their son was a cultist and was murdered by suspected members of a dreaded campus secret cult because they thought he belonged to a rival cult, their son was actually killed due to his interest in a young girl whon he had considered his girl friend.
Nurudeen’s father, a medical director of Tawak Medical Centre in Ijebu-Ode had stressed that he son was not a cultist..
He says, “My son was not a cultist. He was a very gentle boy and often helped us with the household chores. Those who say that he was a cultist are just prescribing medicine after death. They want to vindicate themselves one way or the other. I have only just heard for the first time that he was a cultist.
“He never did anything suspicious nor got involved in anything that would lead to violence. The only time he behaved in an aggressive manner was when he quarrelled with his girlfriend and I settled the matter between both of them amicably. It only showed that he was a jealous lover.”
Nurudeen who was the fourth among seven children was a final year student in the Department of polical science. The deceased before his death was a devout.
Mrs. Olokodana who recalled how it all happened says, “When he returned, he told me he was going to school. I did not want to give him money, but my sister-in-law persuaded me. I went upstairs and I gave him N200 and he left.
“At about 6pm, I dialled his phone number, but it was switched off. I was worried. I wondered what was wrong with his phone. I wanted him to come home and turn on the power generator. When I told his brother on the phone that his number was switched off, he,too, was worried.
“When I contacted Nurudeen’s friend, Abbey, he said that he saw my son on the campus in the morning and that Nurudeen said he was going home by 4 pm.”
She sobbed on, “The next day, on the Sept 7, 2011, somebody phoned me. But the person hid his number. When I answered the phone call, the person did not speak. So, I broke the silence by saying hello. The person asked if I was Nurudeen’s mother and then told me that Nurudeen was dead. When I asked him to identify himself, he cut the phone call.
“I was shocked because I saw my son the previous day and I gave him some money. I said it was not true. Then I went to his father. I told him what I had just heard and he said it couldn’t be. He asked if there was any outbreak of violence in the school and I said I did not know of any. His father took over from there.
“Nurudeen was a gentle boy; if you wanted to see him, all you had to do was check the couch at home. He would be lying on it and playing with his cell-phone. He played with his phone all the time or he would be reading or preparing to go to the mosque
“Later, we heard they kidnapped him. We were hopeful that they would still release him. Then, his father went to the school to see the Chief Security Officer. Our hope was shattered at the end of the day when we heard that he was killed by unknown assailants. What did he do?
“We heard that the killers ambushed him on the expressway and took him back to school. All through his disappearance we were unhappy. We thank God for good people like our imams and pastors who heard about the case and came to comfort us.”
The deceased’s father had disclosed that some people warned him to stop looking for his Son. He says, “They called me and said they knew I was a stubborn father. Then they told me to stop looking for my son as they had given him a befitting burial.”
He said that on the day his wife was informed about Nurudeen’s death, he got a phone call from an unknown person who narrated what led to the tragedy.
He continues, “The voice on the phone told me that my son left the school to Imaweje, where his girlfriend was living. Later, on his way back, he was kidnapped. They brought him to the entrance of the university campus, where he struggled with his assailants on a motorcycle.
“The police have arrested some of the motorcyclists. When his assailants saw that he was becoming a problem to them, they took him to an unknown location in the forest.
“The person on the phone mentioned one Waziri. Waziri is a boyfriend to one Kemi Olafisoye. One Tobi Tobistic was said to have been the one who shot my son. The boy is still at large. They mentioned one TJ and a boy called Sevenbar Adisa Musa.
“We learnt that on the day Nurudeen was kidnapped, because he was struggling with his assailants and the motorcyclist was nervous, Adisa used his car to support them all the way so that the motorcycle would not fall. The vehicle has been impounded by the police. The number plate of the car is AE 398 SRA.
“We learnt that Nurudeen was Olafisoye’s ex-boyfriend. Nurudeen has asked to date her again, but she said she was not interested. Later, we learnt that Kemi was the girlfriend of Waziri, one of the cultists. Nurudeen did not know that Olafisoye was already dating a cultist. That is what led to his death.”
Mr. Olokodana told divulged that his life was being threatened by Adisa because of his continuous search for his son.
He says, “Those people that killed my son are saying that they should get rid of me, too. I don’t know what I have done to them. Adisa called sometime ago and told me not to continue my quest.
“He said that the best thing for me to do is release the people in police detention or I find myself to be blamed. I have told all this to the police.”
Meanwhile Nurudeen’s corpse On Feb 1, 2012, was discovered in a shallow grave alongside three other unidentified corpses in the Imaweje area of Ijebu-Ode. His decomposed body was found tied with electric cable; his ankle was cut off to fit into the grave. His father said he was able to identify his son through his underwear.
Mr. Olokodana says, “Nurudeen’s mother bought six pants. She gave two to her elder brother, two to me and two to Nurudeen. Coincidentally, I wore mine to the scene of his grave. The belt he was buried with, I cannot forget it because I used to flog him with it.
He loved to wear jeans. They bound him with cable because he was struggling with them.”
The School authority and the police have shown all their support to the family in the investigation and few arrest has been made, while those at large are been chased at the moment.
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