A yet-to-be-identified suspect is on the run after allegedly shooting one Kayode Oloruntoba in the stomach at a food joint in the Alagbado area of Lagos State on Friday.
Efforts to save Oloruntoba by some good Samaritans, including his friend, Kazeem Okikiola, proved abortive, as he died.
It was gathered that Okikiola on Friday, September 11, went to Avid Bar at Alagbado to buy Shawarma and called Oloruntoba to join him.
While waiting for the Shawarma seller to attend to him, it was learnt that Okikiola got into an argument with another customer, who also wanted to buy the dish.
The argument, which centred on who should be served first, however, degenerated into an altercation and out of annoyance, the suspect left the spot, entered his car and drove away.
A few minutes later, Oloruntoba met Okikiola at the spot and while they waited for the Shawarma, the suspect reportedly returned, brought out a gun and shot in the direction of the two friends.
The bullet was said to have hit Oloruntoba in the stomach, while the suspect fled.
A resident, who identified himself as Chinedu, said the suspect mistakenly shot the 35-year-old.
“He actually thought that he shot the person (Okikiola) he argued with. Unfortunately, the bullet hit the wrong person. Immediately, the suspect got back into his car and drove away,” he added.
Another resident, Seyifunmi Akinola, said a native doctor assisted in removing the bullet from Oloruntoba’s body, adding that he died while being rushed to hospital for further treatment.
Akinola said, “Immediately the incident happened, his friends rushed him to the Merit Hospital where he was rejected because there was no police report. He was later referred to the General Hospital, Otta, Ogun State, where he was cleaned up and transferred to the General Hospital in Abeokuta.
“But instead of taking him to Abeokuta, they took him to a native doctor to remove the bullet from his body and returned him to the General Hospital in Otta, but he was rejected. He died on the way to another hospital.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said six suspects, including Okikiola, were being questioned over the incident.
Adejobi said, “After the shooting, his friend and witness, Kazeem Okikiola, who had earlier called Oloruntoba to join him at the Shawarma spot, refused to report the incident to the police, but rather took the deceased to a herbalist in Ogun State, where they extracted the pellets from his body.
“He later took Oloruntoba to his brother’s house in the Ipaja area of Lagos State, where he died. As a follow up to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, directed that police detectives be mobilised to hunt the suspects linked to the killing.
“During the investigation, the owner of the Shawarma spot, Chimezie Amaechi; the deceased’s friend, Kazeem Okikiola; the Manager of the Avid Bar, Olayinka Oyedokun, and his friends, Femi Victor, Taiwo Morokola, and Omole Wasiu were arrested. These suspects are giving useful information that can assist the police in the investigation.
“Meanwhile, the CP, Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, to take over the case for discreet investigation.”