OPC chieftain, 3 others in court over the murder of security guard
One Mr Rahman Oyeyemi (60), a chieftain of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in Isheri Ojodu area of Lagos and three other suspects Abubakar Shettima (28 years), Tijani Musa (24 years) and Asuquo Udou (48 years) have been arrested by the police and charged to Yaba Magistrate court for the murder of Muhammed Usman.
Our correspondent gathered that on 25 December 2022, Muhammed Musa who worked as a security guard under Rahmon Oyeyemi went to demand for his December salary as his other colleagues have been paid and Rahmon Oyeyemi told him that he only paid Christians, not Muslims working with him.
The deceased asked him when he started paying salary of his workers based on religious affiliation, yet he denied him of his salary.
Muhammed Musa thereafter went and meet his friend, Mr Kara Muhammed and asked him to follow him to go and plead with Rahmon Oyeyemi maybe he will have a change of heart and pay him his salary.
Mr Kara Muhammed who spoke to our reporter said when they got to Rahmon Oyeyemi’s office, he joined Muhammed Usman in pleading with his boss as it was on Christmas day and that Oyeyemi slapped Muhammed Usman and ordered him out of his office, adding that as he wanted to slap him for the second time, the deceased held his hand and told him not to slap him again at this point he asked the deceased to forget about the salary since someone has already given the him the sum of N3,000, they should use it to buy raw rice and cook. So they left Rahmon Oyeyemi’s office.
According to Mr Kara Muhammed, after they have cooked and eaten they both slept off and later in the evening Muhammed Usman told him that he was going to resume work and he left. Not quite long after the Deceased has left Rahmon Oyeyemi came to asked of car tyre and he told him that he did not see any motor tyre he then asked of the Deceased and he told Oyeyemi that he has gone to resume work. Thereafter he ordered him to follow him to where the Deceased is and he followed him.
Explaining futher, he said on getting to where the Deceased is he also asked him of the tyre and the Deceased replied that he does not know about the tyre, and Oyeyemi ordered his boys to beat him and the Deceased. And as his boys were beating them, he managed to escape and hide very close to the scene as it was dark already.
At his hiding place, he saw how the boys were using sticks and iron rods to beat Muhammed Usman. Occasionally, they will pour local gin alcohol on him and Rahmon Oyeyemi was telling the Deceased that even if he kills him nothing will happen to him.
“Around midnight I saw as they carried him on top of motorcycle and I thought they have taken him to the hospital because blood was all over his body. Early in the morning I came out of my hiding and went home to sleep. Later in the afternoon I heard that Muhammed Usman has died.
Corroborating Kara Muhammed statement, Mali Muhammed another friend of Muhammed Usman said someone called him on his mobile phone and said they saw the Deceased along the street with blood all over his body that he was still breathing and he rushed to the scene and found him on the ground. As at that time he can still talk so he asked him what happened and he told him that he went to demand for his salary and that Mr Rahmon Oyeyemi ordered his boys to beat him adding that as he was trying to reach his elder brother Umar Usman on phone Muhammed Usman gave up the ghost.”
He said on arrival, Usman Umar reported the case at Isheri police station and that the police arrested Abubakar Shettima, Tijani Musa and Asuquo Udoh.
The trio were later transferred to homicide section state CID Yaba, Lagos state for further investigation.
The police at state CID Panti later charged the three suspects to Yaba Magistrate court for the murder of Muhamemed Usman as the prime suspects Rahmon Oyeyemi and two others were on the run.
Count II: of the charges reads that you Abubakar Shettima ‘M’, Tijani Musa ‘M’ Asuquo Udoh and others at large, on the 26th day of December, 2022, at about 0800hrs, at Honey Brook Chinese Estate, Isheri, Lagos, in the Lagos Magiterial District, did unlawfully kill one Muhammed Usman ‘M’ aged 30 years by beating him to death with your fist blow and sticks and thereby, commited an offence punished under section 223 of the criminal law of Lagos state 2015.
They all pleaded not guilty and the magistrate Mrs A.O. Salawu ordered the suspects to be remanded at Ikoyi correctional center pending the advise from the directorate of public prosecution. And the case was adjourned.
Mr Rahmon Oyeyemi was later arrested by the police at state CID Panti and was charged separately to same court 4 Yaba Magistirate court.
Court II of the charge against the OPC chieftain Mr Rahmon Oyeyemi reads that you Rahmon Oyeyemi ‘M’ and others at large, and already charger before the court on the 26th day of December, 2022, at about 0800hrs, at Honey Brook Chinese Estate, Lagos, in the Lagos stae magisterial District, did assault one Muhammed Usman to death by giving him fist blows and hitting him with stick and thereby, committed offence punishable under section 223 of the criminal law.
Mr Rahmon Oyeyemi pleaded not guilty to the charges and the magistrate ordered him to be remanded at the Ikoyi correctional center pending the advise from office of the Directorate of public prosecution and adjourned the case.
