Tension In Oyo Community As Okada Rider Commits Suicide

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A 22-year-old commercial motorcyclist identified as Ayuba Sarafa, has reportedly taken his own life 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.

It was gathered that the young man was the only son of his late father.

His mother, Nike, who later came to the scene of the incident, wept uncontrollably, as she alleged that Ayuba was manipulated to commit suicide by evil forces.

Ayuba’s uncle, Mr Kazeem Tijani, said he became jittery that having left home since Thursday morning, he had not set his eyes on the Okada rider by bedtime.

“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,” Kazeem said.

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 indebted to 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.

“We searched his room, but we could not find any suicide note. I have called our family members at Apomu.”

The Chairman, Association of Commercial Bike Riders in Amuloko area, Mr Oluwatosin James, described Ayuba as a cool-headed and easygoing person.

James stated, “The news of Ayuba’s death came to us as a rude shock. We heard of the news at the park. He was very reticent and would not fight anybody.

“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.

“There was no known issue of threat to him; so, we are 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.