Badoo killings: We Want Justice, Our Sons Are Innocent – Families Of Murdered men

Relatives of the three persons lynched by a mob in Ikorodu, Lagos, for alleged membership of the notorious Badoo cult share their grief with TOLUWANI ENIOLA

I saw one of Paul’s killers with a blood-stained cutlass — Girlfriend

Please introduce yourself.

Esther

I am Esther Demshak; girlfriend of comedian Chinedu Paul killed by a mob in Ikorodu for allegedly belonging to the Badoo cult.

Was your boyfriend a member of Badoo?

He was not a cult member. I didn’t even know what Badoo meant until he was killed. I was even asking people, “Who is Badoo?”

You claimed that you saw one of those that killed him.

Around 3am after he had been killed, I met a guy at the crime scene holding a cutlass smeared with blood. It was a bit dark. I could not recognise him. He told me they killed three guys who were Badoo members. Immediately I heard ‘three guys’, my heart skipped. I asked him if he was sure they were Badoo members. He said ‘yes’ because they saw a chain and engine oil in her car; the identifying tag of the group he called Badoo. I was sad when I realised that Paul was no more. Does it mean that using a chain makes one a Badoo? If you are a driver, you would have engine oil in your car. It’s so unfortunate.

Why didn’t he get a mechanic in Ikorodu that night rather than wait for the mechanics from FESTAC?

It is a Honda car.  It was his first car, a second-hand car which he bought last year. The mechanic working on it in Ikorodu was doing a shoddy job so he reached out to more experienced people. The other two mechanics would have come the following day but they wanted to use a client’s car to tow Paul’s vehicle. The client was going to come for his vehicle the following day. The two mechanics didn’t even know that there was any Badoo attack in Ikorodu, otherwise, they would not have come.

When the mob stopped him, did he reach out to you?

At that particular time, I was calling his phone to know where he was. I was with him in the house when he left. I was calling to know his whereabouts because I was expecting him back home. His phone was ringing as of that time. Someone was ending the call. It meant the phone had been collected. Maybe they were talking to them then. The mistake they made was that since they knew someone was calling him, they should have answered his call.  I knew he would have been shouting that they should pick the call. I knew he would be explaining that it was someone close to him that was calling. The way he saved my name, they would have known it was someone close to him that called. They would have even asked me to come. Maybe I would have come with his family members because it was not far from his house.

What do you want the police to do?

His life is gone. Nothing can bring him back now. But to protect other people, something must be done. Jungle justice must stop.

I’m too young to be a widow — Wife of mechanic killed by Ikorodu mob

B riefly introduce yourself.

I am Mrs. Afolashade Abimbola, 29 years old. I studied Industrial & Labour Relations at the Olabisi Onabanjo University. I got married in 2015 to Shola and we have a son, who is one year and three months old. My husband worked as a mechanic in an engineering firm in FESTAC town before his death.

The late Shola and his wife, Afolashade

When last did you see your husband?

I saw him last on the night of Saturday, July 1. We live in Igando area of Lagos. He told me he needed to go to Ikorodu to help his friend, Chinedu Paul, also known as Think Twice, to fix his car. I knew Chinedu as his friend so I didn’t really bother when he mentioned that he was going to his place.

What were his last words to you?

He told me that if Chinedu’s car did not start in Ikorodu, he would have to tow the car from Ikorodu to his workshop in FESTAC. He left home in Igando close to 9pm. About 10pm, I spoke to him and he told me he was at Agric area in Ikorodu. That was the last thing I heard from him.

What happened after then?

A few minutes past 2am on Sunday, July 2, I called him. Someone picked the call for about six seconds and ended the call. I called back again, the same thing happened. I initially did not entertain any fear.  But later,  my instinct told me that something was wrong. I kept on hoping that he would eventually call me. When I didn’t hear from him, I called his brother’s wife who knew Chinedu, to enquire about his whereabouts. She told me it’s long she heard from Chinedu. On Monday morning, I was told to bring his pictures by an unknown caller. On getting to Ikorodu, I met Chinedu’s mother, who told me my husband, Chinedu and another mechanic  who accompanied him to Ikorodu, had been killed overnight by angry residents who mistook them for members of the Badoo cult terrorising Ikorodu. I wept.

Was your husband a member of Badoo?

How could he be a Badoo member? He was not a cultist. He worked in FESTAC and lived in Igando. He probably didn’t know there was a cult group called Badoo. If he had known, he would not have gone to Ikorodu. He was an easy-going man who minded his business. Chinedu was a popular comedian and that was the reason for the buzz on social media.

But a few people knew my husband. Since the news reached me, I have been devastated. The other guy who was killed too was a technician at the firm.  They were childhood friends. He was not a Badoo member. They were not hooligans. They only went to do their job and unfortunately, the people killed them. It is unfair that people will take the law into their hands.

What’s your reaction to the way the matter has been handled so far?

You don’t expect me to be happy. I want justice. There should be justice. My husband must not die in vain. They have set me on a journey of sorrow since Saturday. I am too young to be a widow. I have no job. I have been a full housewife since we got married. My husband planned that when my baby is a year and six months old, I would start working. By August this year, I would be 30. Where do I start from now?

My son’s killers won’t go scot-free — Mum of slain comedian

Please tell us about yourself.

I am Celestina, mother of comedian Chinedu Paul aka Think Twice, mistaken for a member of the Badoo cult and killed by a mob in Ikorodu.

How did you hear about his death?

When we didn’t know his whereabouts, we went to a nearby police station in Ikorodu. It was there we learnt that my son had been killed. The sad part of it is that the police officers were there when the mob killed him. I am angry with the police.

What did the police do to stop the mob?

The police told me that when they tried to intervene, the mob hurled stones at them, so they ran away. Is that what the police are supposed to do?  After my son had been lynched, the police went to the crime scene, to carry his mangled remains and those of the other two mechanics to the mortuary.

Is Chinedu a cultist?

My son was neither a cult member nor a Badoo member. Why will they kill him? I don’t know what I did to deserve this.

You mentioned that they didn’t release his corpse to you at the mortuary…

We went to the mortuary on Monday, July 3. It was there that we found out that the people that carried out the attack were not even far away from where we live. He was killed at the third bus stop to where we live. We reported to a police station along Shagamu Road, after Ile Epo Oba area. The family members of the two mechanics and I made statements. We went to the General Hospital Ikorodu mortuary. Initially, we were not allowed to enter inside. But later after we brought police report, we were allowed in. There was no way we could identify his corpse because the mangled body parts were together; heads, legs and other parts so there was no way to identify him.

What do you intend to do now?

As long as God is still alive, my son’s killers won’t go scot-free. We plan to get his remains from the mortuary. They didn’t answer us. I asked them if they were afraid to release the body to us or what? I don’t know. Justice must be served.

“My brother planned to marry this year’’

Who are you?

I am Samson Owolabi, elder brother of slain Sunday, one of the three persons mistaken for members of the Badoo cult in Ikorodu.

Tell us what happened?

On Monday, Sunday’s fiancée, Kenny, called me from Ibadan, Oyo State, that they had been searching for Sunday for three days and he was nowhere to be found. His fiancée is a nurse in Ibadan. She said his mobile had also been switched off.

Late Sunday

Those who killed your brother accused him of being a member of the Badoo cult…

When I got to Ikorodu, I was dazed when they told me he was killed because he accused of being a Badoo member. Sunday was my younger brother. He was a gentle and easy-going fellow. He was God-fearing. I learnt that the night he was killed at Ikorodu, his Bible and hymn book were with him. He always went out with his Bible. He was an ardent member of The Apostolic Church. He could not have been a Badoo member.

What were your last discussions with him?

We discussed a lot. He was actually planning to get married this year. He also was planning to travel out of the country.

Do you think the police  handled the matter well?

When the vigilantes stopped their vehicle, they were taken to the Baale’s house. The Baale spoke with them and got to know that they were neither Badoo members nor thieves. The Baale appealed to the mob to keep them till the following morning. The mob said no and insisted they must be killed. They threatened to burn down the Baale’s house if he did not release the three suspects. The Baale had no option than to release them. It could have been better managed but it was unfortunate. I have not been myself since I got the news.

What do you want the government to do?

The police must help us.  We must not suffer in vain. My brother cannot die in vain. The Baale should have been able to calm the mob. The Baale actually called the police and the police said the mob did not allow them to quell the clamour that they should be burnt. I wonder why the police could not fire canisters to disperse the crowd.  Jungle justice is a recurring incident in Nigeria and it must stop. The killers must be brought to book because they have killed an innocent man.