Armed robbers kill university undergraduate, escapes through cemetery

A 200-level student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Adekunle Agboola, said to be preparing for second semester examination has been killed by suspected armed robbers on Moore Road, near the university campus, in the Yaba area of Lagos.

Penpushing reports that the sad incident occurred on Saturday night when an unidentified individual had reportedly accosted a campus shuttle that was conveying passengers from the Yaba bus stop to the campus and snatched a mobile phone from one of the passengers, Opeyemi Aiyeolowo.

The colleague of the deceased, who is also a  300-level student of the Department of Business Administration of the university, Opeyemi Aiyeolowo while narrating the incident in tears, said contrary to media reports that the deceased pursued the phone-snatcher, explained that another robbery gang attacked them while seeking means to retrieve the stolen phone.

Penpushing further reports that Aiyeolowo explained that she was returning to the campus from an event on Saturday, 3 June, and boarded a campus shuttle at the Yaba bus stop, when the incident occurred

“I was sitting close to the window in the back seat and I was using the phone. Suddenly, just on Moore Road, right behind the Atan cemetery, I just noticed someone dragging my phone with me while the bus was moving. Because it was sudden, the individual successfully snatched it, ran towards the cemetery and scaled the fence”, she said

Penpushing also reports that the undergraduate stated that her shout instantly aroused the concern of other passengers who expressed shock and surprise at the same time, adding that she pleaded with the driver to stop if it would be possible to negotiate for the return of the phone, but the driver declined.

‘I pleaded with the driver to stop if it would be possible to negotiate for the return of the phone, but the driver declined. So while the driver refused to wait, Adekunle volunteered to follow me if we could trace the snatcher and possibly negotiate the return of the phone. So we alighted from the bus and approached a private security man in one of the houses on the road,”

Penpushing reports that she added she had never met the deceased until that night, adding that he (Agboola) must have sensed the tension in her and the worry about the materials on the phone because they (students) were preparing for exams.”

“So while the driver refused to wait, Adekunle volunteered to follow me if we could trace the snatcher and possibly negotiate the return of the phone. So we alighted from the bus and approached a private security man in one of the houses on the road,” she said.

Penpushing further reports that Aiyeolowo said the security guard told them that since the snatcher had scaled the fence into the cemetery, it would be difficult to trace him, and thereafter left the security guard.

The lady explained that the deceased suggested that they approached the “Domino pizza joint” to see if there would be men or police officers to explain the situation to, adding that to their surprise while approaching the junction another gang of armed robbers approached them

‘But as we were approaching the junction, two other men just stopped us and demanded our phones again. I was scared and told them I didn’t have a phone and that it was already snatched. They demanded Adekunle’s phone and he responded that it was in his pocket but before you know it, one of the two guys just pulled out a gun and shot him in the head. I was scared to my marrow and as they ran to one direction, I ran to another direction”, she recalled

Penpushing also reports that Aiyeolowo stated that when police officers arrived, she returned to the scene., and was later  invited to the Sabo police station where she was asked to write a statement before her release late in the night, adding that the corpse of Agboola was deposited at a morgue at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba.

The Dean of Students Affairs of the institution Prof Musa Obalola speaking on the development, condoled with the family of the deceased, with assurance that the institution would collaborate with the security operatives towards ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to book.

Penpushing reports that Obalola lamented that the death of the 21-year-old student who was billed to join his mates to sit the second-semester examination that started on Monday was unfortunate and shocking.

‘It is shocking and depressing. UNILAG is not known for such but this is a call on the government and the security architecture, especially in the state, to improve on intelligence capacity and sanitise our environment’, he said.

‘As the dean of the students’ affairs, every single student of the university is my child and you can imagine how painful it is for a father to lose a child. I am sad and I pray that God grants the family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss’, Obalola stated

Penpushing further reports that the university, earlier in a statement made available to journalists through the Principal Assistant Registrar, Communication Unit, Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, noted that the circumstance surrounding the death was being investigated.

The statement added that the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, on behalf of the entire university community, commiserates with the family of the deceased and prayed that God grants the bereaved family the strength and fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.

Penpushing also reports that the Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer Ben Hundeyin, confirmed the incident, adding that no arrest has been made as at the time of filing this report, but gave assurance that  efforts were on to apprehend the criminals.

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