Residents of Agboju area of Amuwo Odofin, Lagos State were thrown into confusion last week when news filtered in that an elderly man, Alhaji Tajudeen (other names withheld), who had gone for a drink in a nearby pub slumped and died in the presence of his lady friend.
The 80-year-old man who was a regular visitor to the Dove Restaurant and Lodge, located in Jimoh Street, Agboju, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, decided to have a good time in the brothel hidden from public attention in the Agboju area, in line with the mood of the season. The pub shares a boundary with a Pentecostal Church, and also provides accommodation for short stay guests, who usually pay for one hour or two or stay over the night.
In order not to raise any suspicion, Alhaji Tajudeen and his lady friend simply called Iya Ibadan, were said to have headed to the Dove Restaurant and Lodge to share a beer and have fun. But if a soothsayer had told the old man that fateful day, Sunday December 23, 2012 that he was just going to have the last drink on earth, or that he would neither celebrate the full Christmas season nor return to his home alive, the octogenarian would have dismissed that as a big joke.
Having lowered himself into a settee, according to reports, Alhaji Tajudeen was said to have ordered drinks for two and the duo settled down to have maximum entertainment and relaxation. It was while they were drinking and chatting that the man complained of having headache. And before any help by the bar attendant or his companion, the man died instantly in a reclining position on the settee. As soon as the man died, everybody around was thrown into confusion.
His lady friend allegedly fled, while the other customers, who were also enjoying their drinks at the time of the tragedy, abandoned the pub and took to their heels. An eyewitness confirmed however, that while the staff were busy making frantic efforts to contact both the police and the owner of the pub about the unfortunate incident, people living in the adjoining streets of Sam Shonibare and Felix Street, soon got wind of the news and before long, a crowd had gathered in front of the pub. They stood in small groups discussing the incident and tried to figure out what went wrong.
Some said the man died on top of the woman during intercourse, but others said it was magun, the native charm which married men use to checkmate their amorous wives. Others said the man died from exhaustion, while yet some attributed his sudden death to old age. While this went on, some policemen from the Agboju Police Station came with their vehicle to the scene, and as soon as the crowd got wind of what was happening, everyone dispersed for fear of being arrested. The policemen spent some time in the pub before taking the corpse to the station.
When Saturday Sun called at the Satellite Police post, the Divisional Police Officer confirmed the report. He said a report of ‘death’ was made to the command of someone who died in a pub, and after thorough investigation and conviction that there was no foul play, the corpse was released to his family.
He also confirmed that the family was making arrangements for the burial, adding that since no foul play was established, “we had to release the corpse to the man’s family, including 20 of his children who came to the station. “The victim died, while sitting on a sofa, dressed in his white caftan with a cap to match.”