Alfa dies after drinking herbal mixture

A 24-year-old Islamic cleric popularly known as Alfa, Taiye Bamidele, has reportedly died after consuming a herbal mixture (Agbo), in the Festac area of Lagos.

It was also gathered that before he gave up the ghost, Bamidele had first acted strangely and behave violently before his death on Saturday, May 16.

According to reports, the Ondo State born Alfa Bamidele, had earlier complained of ill health to a close friend of his identified as Akintunde Akinwunmi, who was said to have gone to a herb vendor around the area and got the mixture for his friend.

But after taking the 'Agbo' concoction, a mixture of 'jedi-jedi and small leaf' which were soaked in alcohol, Alfa Bamidele reportedly began behaving in a strange way, laughing hysterically and saying things that had no meaning. It was shortly after that he died.

A friend of the Alfa said:

"He started by laughing at everything they were saying and they didn’t understand what was happening. Later, he touched the private parts of one of them. When they tried to hold him, he ran out of the house. In the process of running, it was gathered that Taiye fell and injured himself in the head."

He was said to have continued running, but was later found with the security men at the entrance into the estate. The men explained to his friends that Alfa had lost his mind. The security guards reportedly chained Alfa and handed him over to his friends.

The Festac Police Division where the case was first reported, transferred it to the Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba, which moved promptly to arrest Akinwunmi and the herb seller.

A source with the DCI, said that Bamidele was only on a visit to Lagos when the sad indicent occured.

The source said:

"There are three friends involved in this case. The deceased lived in Ondo State, while the other two are living in Lagos.

The two in Lagos travelled to Ondo to join Taiye for the naming ceremony of another friend, who was living in Idi-Iroko. All the three friends returned to Lagos on Thursday, last week.

The following day, which was Friday, Taiye said he had a stomach upset and they went to get him some herbs to treat the ailment."

The herb seller, Bilikisu Ayilara, said she did not know anything about the death of the victim.

"I have been selling herbs for a long time and I have never had problems. I don’t know the man that died. His friend usually patronised me. He came that day and said his friend had a stomach upset.

I gave him jedi-jedi and small leaf and that was all. It was later I learnt the man who took it ran mad and died. I am innocent."