22-year-old commercial motorcyclist also known as okada rider identified as Ayuba Sarafa, has reportedly committed suicide at the Amuloko area of Ibadan in the Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Ayuba, was said to have hung himself in an uncompleted building beside his uncle’s house on Friday.
Newsnaija learned that the young man was the only son of his late father.
His mother, known as Nike, who wasn’t available at the time of the incident, wept uncontrollably, at her return and claimed that her son was manipulated to commit suicide by evil forces.
The victim’s uncle who identified himself as Mr Kazeem Tijani, said he became worried that having left home since Thursday morning, he had not set his eyes on the his nephew at bedtime.
Kazeem said “We called his phone and monitored the place where the phone was ringing. It was traced to the uncompleted building, where he was found hanging. The mobile telephone was in his pocket,”. Adding that two black plastic bags were seen on the floor with his pair of sandals.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said items found in the bags were a white garment, two bottles of perfume, a new white singlet, chin-chin, biscuits and other personal effects as well as a white handkerchief used as a face mask.
Kazeem said, “Ayuba got the motorcycle on hired purchase basis and was paying regularly. He was not known to be owing anyone and he was not starving. He was not married. He had been living with me for the past two to three years. He was working with me before he got the motorcycle.
He said “We searched his room, but we could not find any suicide note. I had to call our family members at Apomu.”
Mr Oluwatosin James, The Chairman, Association of Commercial Bike Riders in Amuloko area, described the victim as a cool-headed and easygoing person.
The Chairman stated, “The news of Ayuba’s death came to us as a shock. We heard of the news at the park. He was very reserved and would not fight anybody for anything.
“Once he operated his okada in the morning, he would go and park, and go to his uncle’s shop to assist him. He got the motorcycle on instalments for N390,000 and had almost completed payment as the balance remains just N77,000.
The witness said “There was no known issue of threat to him so, we are all confused over this sad incident.”
As of the time of filing this report, it was learnt that traditional worshippers were making arrangements to perform rituals before Ayuba’s corpse could be brought down from where he hung.
Olugbenga Fadeyi, The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, who confirmed the incident, said , “The family has taken the corpse away for burial, because he was a Muslim. The family members went there and discovered his body in a house not too far from them.
“They are not sensing any foul play, according to what I heard from the Divisional Police Officer.”