A 45 -year-old carpenter, Mr Olufalayi Obadare, was beaten to death on Wednesday by a mob in Olujoda, Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
A witness, who did not give his name, said Obadare, a father of three children, was killed about 5pm when some youths accused him of roaming about the streets in a suspicious manner and descended on him.
The late Obadare, who was living with his family at llawe, Ado Ekiti, was said to have been clubbed and attacked with other deadly weapons, which rendered him unconscious before he finally gave up the ghost.
Daily Trust learnt there had been consistent robbery attacks in the Olujoda area in recent times, which had made the youths to be suspicious of strange faces.
Obadare’s wife, Yemi, however, told our correspondent the youths were wrong to have mistaken her husband for a robber without any cogent reason, saying he had informed her of a contract he just secured at Olujoda and that was the reason he went to that area.
The widow bemoaned the harrowing death of her husband and demanded for justice.
She said, “My husband had told me he was going to Olujoda to get a contract. I was greatly surprised when I heard he was killed because of suspicion that he was wandering around. Did they see any dangerous weapon on him? And why couldn’t they take him to the person who contracted him for the job to know his true identity? This is gross injustice and the perpetrators must be brought to book.”
A relation of the deceased, Mrs Omowumi ldowu, said she was shocked when she was notified that her brother, who she said had only recovered from malaria a few days ago, had been killed.
“When I was told, I initially had the impression that he died of the ailment he complained about a few days ago. But I was shocked to hear that he was beaten to death by some people.
“When we spoke on telephone, he had informed me that he was going to secure a job at Olujoda on that fateful day without knowing that it would be his end,” Mrs Idowu said.
She called on the police command to arrest the killers and ensure justice.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, Mr Sunday Abutu, confirmed the killing, saying investigation had commenced on the matter.
Abutu said the remains of the deceased had been deposited in the morgue, while the police had arrested some people in connection with the incident.
