Afeez Hanafi
The promising life of a 28-year-old farmer in Ajilete community, Ogun State, Adeleke Adewusi, has met a shocking end after his workers allegedly killed him.
The suspects reportedly hacked the father of three to death on his farm in Alapa, a neighbouring community, on Monday.
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Saturday PUNCH gathered that the two workers were hired by a resident of Alapa identified simply as Ola Sheu to kill their boss. The mastermind was said to have been at loggerheads with Adeleke.
It was learnt that the deceased was applying pesticides on his cocoa farm, said to be about one acre, when one of the workers, Femi, suddenly descended on him with a machete.
Adeleke reportedly ran to the second worker identified as Kehinde for safety, but he also allegedly brought out a machete and joined in the attack.
Our correspondent learnt that Femi and Kehinde fled the farm after snuffing life out of their boss.
A cousin of the victim, Bisola Adewusi, said he was in his shop that day when a family member called him on the telephone and announced Adeleke’s murder to him.
He said Femi was fleeing with Adeleke’s motorcycle when he was intercepted by some vigilantes, who were alerted to the bloodstains on his clothes by a passerby.
He said, “When the vigilantes queried him about the bloodstains, he said it was as a result of an animal he killed in the bush. They asked for the animal, but he could not present it. The vigilantes became suspicious and probed him further. That was when he opened up. He told them that Ola Sheu contracted him and Kehinde to kill Adeleke. He was applying pesticides on his farm when they attacked him with machetes.
“The case was reported to the police at the Owode division. Femi led the vigilantes and the police to arrest Ola Sheu and Kehinde. The third fourth suspect is still on the run. We want the police to handle this case seriously. A breadwinner and promising person has been killed prematurely. He must get justice.”
The father of the deceased, Sheriffdeen Adewusi, who was at Alapa on the day of the incident, told Saturday PUNCH that Femi, Kehinde and Ola Sheu had visited him on his (Sherifdeen’s) farm possibly to cover up any track that could link them to the crime.
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He said, “My son and I were at Alapa that morning. I was planting cocoa when he passed by and went to apply pesticides on his farm some metres away from mine. After a while, Ola Sheu came to meet me. He greeted me and said he would need some cocoa seeds for planting. I promised to give him whenever he was ready.
“Two hours after he left and headed towards Alapa town, Kehinde and Femi who worked for my son came and met me on the farm. They asked me to give them some ripe palm fruits. I told them to climb the tree and pluck as many as they wanted. They left afterwards unknown to me that they were plotting to kill my son.”
The grieving father said he was returning home in the afternoon when somebody flagged down his motorcycle and told him that Adeleke had been killed on the farm. He stated that he went back to the farm with some people and saw Adeleke’s corpse.
“They hid his corpse somewhere on the farm. Femi, who was caught by the vigilantes, mentioned Ola Sheu as the mastermind. Ola Sheu wanted to take over the farm. The police have arrested him and the workers. They are still searching for the fourth suspect who connived with them.
“Apart from Ola Sheu, some people had been having a running battle with my son over the farm. They said it belonged to them. My son must not die in vain. He was very hard working. We want justice,” he added.
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The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, had yet to reply to a text message sent to his phone on the incident as of press time.
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