Badoo fingered in grandma’s mysterious death, body dismembered
From Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
residents of Moferere in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, recently woke up to the agonizing cry of Mrs Titilayo Ajayi, daughter of a 73-year-old, Adetutu. She was found allegedly hacked to death in a most gruesome manner in 10, Moferere Street.
Titilayo told Daily Sun that her mother was found in the pool of her own blood by the entrance of her room by some church members who had paid her a visit early that morning. The grandma hailed from Isara-Remo, Ogun State, and was daughter of the former Accountant General of the old Western Region, Mr Samuel Sotoowa.
While the police are still on the trail of her yet-to-be identified assailants, neighbours alleged that some desperate members of the dreaded “Badoo” might be responsible. They claimed she could have been killed her for moneymaking rituals judging from the cruel manner in which she was murdered: Her fingers were cut off while her body, including head were macheted mercilessly.
According to Titilayo, the deceased was a mother of five, who lived alone in a flat with a tenant occupying the “boys’ quarters” built at the back of her house. She was a retiree of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, where she worked for 35 years.
Titilayo said she was called from Akure, Ondo State, around 11pm by church members that her mother sustained home injury. She immediately rushed down to Ado-Ekiti:
“When I got here, I saw my mother in the pool of her own blood. Her blood had been drained and taken away because a bucket Mama left in the store was taken away. We believe the bucket was used to drain her blood. Her fingers were cut off, which made us to suspect that it was done by ritualists.
“She ought to have attended the cross-over vigil at CAC, Voice of God, on this street. When the pastor did not see her, she was worried and sent a delegation to look after her. When they got here, they met her lifeless body and they immediately raised the alarm.
“We saw the record Mama left on the calendar. Anytime she woke up around 5am, she would take her bathe and mark the calendar. When we saw the calendar marked on that day, it suggested that she was killed after 5am.”
Her was deposited at the morgue of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. She begged the police to conduct thorough investigation into the heinous crime and brought the perpetrators to book. She also begged the cops to fast track the investigation so that her mother can be buried in due course.
The 82-year-old widower, Pa Clement Ajayi, who lived at Irun-Ekiti, described the incident as “sad, pathetic and surprising,” saying it confirmed that the lives of Nigerians were no longer safe:
“I could not imagine myself seeing my wife being massacred like that, over what? In fact, her head, eyes, hands, laps and neck were butchered. You could hardly identify her. It was a gruesome murder and justice must be done in this matter.”
A neighbour, Mr Aina Joel, said he did not hear any noise from the deceased’s flat that night there was nothing to suggest that she had died when he left home for work at 8am. He also agreed with the insinuation that the deceased must have been killed around 10am.
When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Alberto Adeyemi, said: “Yes, we are aware. We got the information and our men are working round the clock to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.”
Asked if the police have any suspicion of the assailants being “Badoo” boys, he said: “We do not have such suspicion. Although, investigation is still on-going but there is yet to be anything to say the killers were “Badoo” members.”
Sources said the victim had been living alone since 2009.