Bereaved mother cries for justice

Since her only child was violently taken from her back and flung to the ground at the peak of a bloody clash between loyalists of Ajoriwin of Irawo, Oba Musiliu Ademola, and her husband, which allegedly resulted in the death of six-month-old Azeem, Mrs. Wahab Adijat has lived in agony, Vanguard reports.

Irawo is in Atisbo Local Government area of Oyo State.

When she walked into Vanguard office in company of her husband, Wahab Idowu; their counsel, Mr. Remi Alli; and the second wife, one could tell from her swollen eyes that an unimaginable tragedy had befallen her. As young as she is, it seemed the whole world had collapsed on her.

Before she opened her mouth to explain the fracas that claimed the only child of her five-year marriage, stream of tears filled her eyes. At her first attempt to talk, her voice faded and when she had mustered enough composure to speak, uncontrollable and intermittent sobs accompanied her response.

After calming down, she recounted how one Ojo Baloosa allegedly snatched her baby from her and caused him serious injuries that led to his death two days after.

She said, “I was at home on that fateful day when some people came to me. Sensing what could follow their unfriendly countenance, I took to my heels with the baby strapped to my back. The uninvited guests pursued me. Ojo Baloosa caught up with me and kicked my legs from behind and I fell on my face with the baby.

“To my surprise, he took my baby from me and flung him away. I stood up to prevent them from hurting the innocent baby.

But, I was yanked off and given serious beating. Despite that, I still struggled to where my baby was lying and picked him up. By this time, the baby did not even cry. He was only moving some parts of his body”.

When asked how she identified the person who took her baby from her, she said she knew him well since she is from Irawo and the suspect knew her as the wife of Wahab Idowu who had earlier been attacked by the same people.

She continued, “I called him(my baby), but he did not respond. All these happened around 3pm. I got to one hospital, the nurses took the baby from me and told me to excuse them. Later, I was referred to the General Hospital, Tede. The baby could not eat or drink. He died two days after. I got married in 2011. This baby was the only child I had.”

She called on Nigerians to help her so that the baby would not die in vain.

When with the police, she quoted the suspect as saying he was one of those who destroyed the block-moulding industry of her husband but was not the one that took the baby from her.

Suspects have already been arrested as the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammed Katsina, who promised that the culprits would be brought to justice, said his men had arrested the suspected attacker, Baloosa, and may be charged to court.

Wahab Idowu, the father of the baby, who was also beaten by the suspected attackers, pleaded with the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, CP Katsina and other security agents to do all things necessary to ensure that those who had hands in the killing of the baby and ruining his business interests were not allowed to get away with the crimes.

He noted that he remained in exile in an undisclosed town to avoid being killed by his attackers for daring to challenge them for the loss of his baby.