keke napep murdered in Lagos and filmed by his killers

[justseyi]

On the evening of July 31, Bolakale Yusuff, a Lagos-based commercial tricyclist, was brutally murdered by assailants in the Mushin area of Lagos.

Yusuff had bid his elder brother, Quadri, goodnight after hearing news of an attack in their neighborhood. He then left for his apartment in Agoro. Shortly after, Quadri was informed that Yusuff had been attacked. He rushed to the scene, only to find his brother lying motionless on the ground.

Who killed the 30-year-old father of one, and why? Quadri learned that it was the ‘Kesari Boys,’ a criminal group notorious for deadly attacks in Mushin.

HOW YUSUFF WAS KILLED

The killers, numbering at least five, were armed with lethal weapons, including a loaded rifle and cutlasses—tools typically found with state security personnel. These weapons were unleashed on Yusuff, who was shot and then brutally attacked with the cutlasses, causing deep cuts all over his body.

The killers filmed the gruesome act on their phones and circulated the footage. In one of the videos seen by FIJ, Yusuff can be seen rolling on the floor as his attackers used cutlasses on his head, back, legs, hands, and other parts of his body. Blood gushed from his multiple wounds, and he succumbed to his injuries before his brother could get him to the hospital.

The attackers were heard speaking unintelligibly in the videos. The footage and images are too gory to be uploaded. One of the assailants was heard saying, “Let me video him,” while repeatedly mentioning Bola’s name. Others in the video said, “You won’t dare do that again. Use the machete on him! You can’t escape. I promised I would be the one to deal with you. I am filming it.”

FIJ learned that Yusuff used to be friends with his attackers until he severed ties with them due to discomfort with their lifestyle.

“They used to be friends with my brother,” Quadri told FIJ. “My brother had a Keke NAPEP that he used for commercial transport. At some point, he cut ties with them because he couldn’t abide by their lifestyle. He encouraged them to embrace a decent life and earn an honest living.

“These guys are criminals. They could go to any street to attack people and loot shops. That’s how they operate. My brother distanced himself from them because of their bad ways. For this, they said he was being proud.”

Quadri said he had warned his brother to go straight home and avoid any trouble, knowing the killers were attacking a location in the area that day. “Less than 30 minutes later, I was told he had been shot. I rushed there and found him on the ground. I picked him up and drove to the hospital. He died before we got there,” he said.

“While picking him up, I saw one guy holding a rifle. The gunman is called Olori Esho. I was told he is the leader of the group. He shot my brother before his group members attacked him with machetes.”

‘SEVEN RIFLES, NINE PASSPORTS’ RECOVERED

A criminal complaint has been filed at the Area D Police Command and Ogambaji. Yusuff’s brother told FIJ that the incident was reported to the police on August 1, and the police said they were investigating it. However, the family is unhappy with the pace of the investigation.

“He was killed around 11:30 pm, and we filed a police report the following day. The police have been working on it, but no one has been arrested or declared wanted, even though we provided crucial information,” Quadri said.

Olori Esho appears to be more dangerous than people realize. When the police searched his apartment, where he was hiding, they uncovered evidence of a larger criminal network. According to Quadri, the police found seven rifles, three walkie-talkies, nine passports, two pistols, and ammunition.

“These weapons were recovered in Olori Esho’s abode that night. Imagine a civilian holding all these in his possession, and the police have yet to declare him wanted. We don’t understand why the police are handling the matter this way,” Quadri said.

The Area D Police Command’s phone number was switched off when FIJ tried to reach them on Sunday. A text message sent to the number had not been responded to as of press time.

ARE THESE THE KILLERS?

The suspects went on the run after realizing the police were on their trail. Quadri heard from acquaintances that Olori Esho had been boasting that he was beyond police arrest.

According to a source whose name is withheld, some of the alleged killers include Egbere, Ishola Marindoti, Ayinde Okikiola, Ope Mopol, and group leader Olori Esho.

Marindoti, Mopol, and Okikiola declined requests for comments. After FIJ ended a call with Okikiola, he called back and branded the reporter “419” (street lingo for fraudster), asking if the reporter needed financial help.

Although Egbere denied being one of Yusuff’s killers, his responses to questions posed by FIJ suggested he had vital information about the attack. The victim’s brother also identified him as one of the killers.

“It was a clash between two groups—one from Idi-Araba and another from Mushin,” Egbere said. “Idi-Araba boys, including Bola, were fighting Mushin boys. Was that Bola’s first time using a machete? Bola also used to attack people.

“Why are they accusing me of killing him? I heard he attacked Mushin boys, and they killed him. One Sodiq, known as Inspector, is his second-in-command and always instigates Bola to attack people.

“Normally, we used to be together before. He was my leader at Idi-Araba, and I later left their place for Mushin. We became opponents when I relocated to Mushin and attacked each other many times. But some people resolved our issues, and I made peace with him. We hadn’t had any reason to attack each other since then.”

Contrary to some reports, both the victim’s brother and Egbere separately told FIJ that the incident was unconnected to cult violence, explaining that the attackers were boys from Mushin and Idi-Araba.

The family remains hopeful that the police will thoroughly investigate and bring the killers to justice. Headfort Foundation, a non-profit organization promoting access to justice in Nigeria, has joined the calls for justice for Yusuff.

[Author]

Posts