Residents of the Labinkulu community in the Moniya area of Akinyele Local Government, Oyo State, are in mourning following the brutal murder of 24-year-old Abass Olalere by an unidentified 12-man gang. The attack occurred around 9:48 p.m. on Saturday, within the confines of Olalere’s home, in the presence of his wife and their three-month-old son.
Our correspondent visited the scene yesterday and found a community in shock and disarray, with residents gathering in small groups to discuss the tragic event.
Omolayo Olalere, the deceased’s wife, recounted the harrowing experience: “We were sitting outside when they suddenly stormed our house. My husband had no quarrel with anyone. We rushed inside and tried to secure the doors and windows, but they smashed through everything to gain entry.”
She continued, “One of my senior wives who was outside at the time was beaten severely and almost killed. Once inside, they forced my husband to lie on the table in the parlor. They used daggers, axes, knives, broken bottles, and even charms to ensure he didn’t survive. There were 12 of them; three wore masks to conceal their identities.”
Following the attack, Abass was rushed to Cureland Hospital in Moniya and later transferred, but he succumbed to his injuries. The incident has been reported to the Moniya Divisional Police Station.
Jelili Olalere, the father of the deceased, expressed his bewilderment over the incident: “My son was a peaceful person. I can’t fathom why these men would attack our home, destroying property and killing him in the process. They shattered doors, windows, and our plasma TVs, and used dangerous weapons and charms on him.”
Abass’s body has been taken to the morgue at Adeoyo Hospital, Ring Road, Ibadan. Efforts to reach the State Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, for a comment were unsuccessful as his phone remained unreachable.
