A bus conductor stabbed one of his passengers to death over N50. The victim, Babatunde Omoyeni a web designer was said to have planned to spend his Christmas and New Year celebrations in the United States of America, but was killed on his way back from the club with his friends on Saturday.
According to PUNCH, the 38 year old was returning when he had a disagreement with a bus conductor over the N50 fare.
The conductor, who was identified as Samson Eletu was reported to have escaped been lynched by angry residents all thanks to the community leader who handed him over at the Aguda Police division.
According to the source ,
“Babatunde was returning home after a party when he entered the bus.
“He gave the conductor N500, but the conductor told him he didn’t have N450 change, because the fare was N50.
“When they got to the bus stop, the man demanded his change and that started a fight.
“An Alfa in the bus intervened and separated them. But the conductor, who was still aggrieved, trailed the victim to his house.”
The conductor, armed with a broken bottle, banged on the gate into the house and as the deceased opened the gate, Eletu stabbed him. Babatunde took to his heels, but the conductor chased him. Unfortunately, he fell down and the conductor stabbed him repeatedly,” he added.
It was learnt that Eletu was fleeing from the scene when he was nabbed by a suspicious resident who saw blood stains on his clothes.
The younger sister of the victim, Blessing Omoyeni, said his brother would not have died if he was rescued on time.
She further stated that her brother spent over one hour in a pool of blood before he was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba.
She said,
“Nobody was ready to assist him to the hospital. A man had to throw himself in front of a commercial bus and asked the passengers to disembark, before he could get help. “He was rushed to LUTH, but they were turned back at the gate by a doctor who pronounced him dead on arrival around 12am.
“People started beating the conductor and almost killed him before he was rescued and taken to the Aguda Police Division.”
It was learnt that the victim’s corpse was deposited at the Isolo General Hospital mortuary.
The victim’s friend, Ogunyemi Olaribigbe, described him as quiet and gentle, adding that his death was a big blow to all who knew him.
However, the thirty-two-year-old conductor, Eletu said the victim attacked him first.
He said,
“I am also a driver and I had parked my bus at about 7pm when I saw a co-driver who offered to take me home.
“It was along the way that he decided to pick passengers and there were eight of them in the bus.
“I collected money from seven of them, but he refused to pay and said he knew me on the street.
“It was at the bus stop that he broke a bottle and stabbed me in the forehead and cheek. I also got the same bottle, but unfortunately I stabbed him in the neck and he died.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, Joe Offor, when contacted promised to call back, but he had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
Source: Punch Newspaper.
Kanyi Okeke
