‘Only justice can assuage my pains’

HIS case could be said to be a twist of fate. It is a cross that Bukayo Fajana, the young man, whose pregnant wife was killed at Arepo in Ogun State recently, said he was ready to bear, if only the authorities concerned could find the killers of his wife and bring them to book.

Perturbed by the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death, Fajana said he was yet to come to terms with the demise of his wife, Dammy, whom he said was not just a wife but also his friend and confidant.

Speaking with The Guardian at Ifako- Ijaye, Ogba, where he is presently recuperating from the rude shock, Fajana said he was still dumbfounded because it happened so suddenly.

According to him, government should fish out his wife’s killers, to avoid a repeat of the ugly incident.

He said: “ Of course it will not bring back my wife and our unborn baby. It could have been anybody. If this is not curtailed, who says a repeat of it may not happen another time?”

“Yes, my wife has been killed together with our unborn baby and even if the person or group that shot her were found and brought to book, it will not bring back my wife and the baby. It will not take away my pains. These people should not get away with this devilish act.”

Narrating how he met his wife at a friend’s wedding in October 2009 and later married her last year, Fajana said he was able to wait for her to complete her education because of her exemplary qualities.

“Her love and fear of God, level of intelligence and discipline were exemplary that I was even willing to wait even longer for her hand in marriage,” he said.

Fajana also said he would not be able to go back to the house because his late wife was with him right from the purchase of the land till the erection of the bungalow.

He reminisced: “ The buying of the land was my wife’s idea. She was also the one who drew the building sketch before we took it to the architect for perfection. We also packed in together from our honeymoon in Akure, after our wedding.”

“We normally leave the house every working day and return together because we both work in Ikeja. Then, how can I go back to the house without her?” he queried.
F
ajana said he had not witnessed such shooting at Arepo and its environs, since they moved in even, though there were times he heard gunshots from the creeks.

He said: “There is a pipeline belonging to The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that passes across Arepo.
I was told that it leads to Agric area in Ikorodu.”

“So there were times I heard distant gunshots but I have not heard gunshots within the estate. There is a security post near the Beachland Estate gate, which security operatives use as a base to monitor the pipelines. I have seen the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), mobile policemen, the regular policemen and even the Army at different times, I have never seen Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) here before. I was told that OPC was licensed by the Federal Government to monitor pipelines and the group resumed duty at the post on Tuesday April 28, a day before the incident.”

“I also learnt that OPC had received arms and ammunition, resumed and went to Ijaw Island to harass the community. In the process, they attacked the people and vandalised their property.”

“After they had done that, they ran away and returned to base at the security post. I learnt that drew the anger of the Ijaw people, who came to retaliate against the OPC at the security post meant for security operatives.”
“
There was a shoot-out between the two. But why shoot an innocent woman in a civilian car?,” he lamented.

Damilola, it would be recalled, was hit by a single bullet, which pierced through the windshield of a Toyota Camry, and killed her, just a few steps to the gate of Beachland Estate, Arepo, Ogun State.
Police records show that the vehicle was driven by one Mr. Akinyemi, who told the police that as they were approaching Beachland Estate, Arepo, they had no idea that there was a gun battle between oil thieves and members of the Oodua People’s Congress.

Beachland Estate is located about 100 meters from the Arepo creek where pipelines of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation are located, an area that has seen considerable violence and attacks carried out by oil thieves.

In March 2015, OPC was awarded a multi-million-naira contract by the Federal Government to secure pipelines in South West.