By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
A Lagos-based automobile trader, Adeyemi Adekeye, has narrated how his customer, Owolabi Onipede, conspired with sibling and friends in Lagos to kidnap and torture him to death.
While narrating his story; showing videos and pictures to journalists in Lagos on Friday, May 12 2023, on how he was being afflicted with beating and several other torture, Adekeye said if not for the mercy of God and intervention of the Nigeria Policemen, who intercepted the kidnappers’ vehicle, he would have been a dead man.
Adekeye said those involved in the barbaric deeds did so in order to carry out the order given by one Mr Owolabi Onipede who had bought two vehicles from him in 2022 and were yet to be cleared from the port at that time.
Adekeye said, “The vehicles were bought by Onipede on my unction account. No dealer would do that. But I did that so he could see the transparency in the whole deal. But when the vehicle got to Nigeria, it incurred some demurrage because there was a delay in clearing.”
He said Onipede later sent his elder brother, Rugba Onipede, to him and they both went to port where the agent confirmed that there was demurrage on the vehicles and that when payment is made the vehicles will be granted to them.
“The vehicles were still not being cleared when I travelled to Osun for a prayer programme. While in Osun, Rogba, the brother of Owolabi Onipede called me and asked me to come back to Lagos; that they were ready to make payments to clear the cars,” he said.
Adekeye said he told Rogba to pay the agent that had been introduced to him to clear the vehicles at the port. But Rogba insisted that Adekeye’s presence would ease the exercise and that he should come to Lagos.
He said when he got to Lagos, he met Rogba Onipede with his friend, Wale Soyemi and both of them lured him to a house: No 2 Soyemi Street, Ojodu, Lagos, emphasizing that they collected all he had on him including his iPhone pro max and some jewellery, they transferred money from his bank account and later stripped him off.
He said the men in the room took turns beating him, adding that he was being tortured while they informed him the vehicles in question had been cleared by the agent.
“Immediately I called the agent and he confirmed to me that he had used his money to clear the cars. He said he did not want to bother me since I said I was traveling. I now said to them that since the vehicles had been cleared why did they ask me to come to Lagos? Rather than get an answer, I was slapped by Wale Soyemi from behind,” he said.
He explains, “Wale Soyemi brought a rope from the back of a fridge in his room. I was tied for more than 8 hours. They were beating me, punching me. At a point, I zeroed my mind that the end had come.
He went further to say that he was beaten by different guys and the following day some uniformed men came and told him to call the agent in the pretence that nothing was wrong, adding that he complied with their instruction but they were later intercepted by the policemen from Ago Palace police station.
Adekeye told journalists that the culprits have been charged with kidnapping by the Directorate of Public Prosecution, adding, however, that he got the hint that there were several moves to thwart the case and make light of it.
“I gathered some people connected to the case and asked the DPP that the charges against my assailants be reviewed. My concern is that justice is about being thwarted. I would have been killed and forgotten. While we are in court, we are also appealing that the DPP should maintain its earlier charge. There is clear evidence that these people are killers,” he said.
“DIG Adeleke played a great role in ensuring that I get justice. He played a fatherly role in trying to settle the matter. But some forces within the system are trying to trivialize the crime. My assailants are now being charged with “tying and fist blowing” from what my lawyer found out. I don’t know what changed between then and now. But I suspect some people are being manipulated in the system,” he said.
Adekeye said Wale Soyemi who supervised the torture in the Ojodu house has been detained in Ikoyi prison, while a warrant of arrest has been issued to arrest Rogba and Owolabi Onipede. Rogba is said to have jumped bail about three times and may never show up in court again.
