How SARS victim Kolade Johnson’s mother sent him a ‘New Month’ message not knowing he was dead
The mother of Kolade Johnson, the young man who was reportedly killed by SARS, sent him a ‘new month’ message not knowing he was already dead.
According to Punch Metro, as of 8am on Monday, Mrs Olufunke Odebiyi had yet to know that her son, Kolade Johnson, had been killed by operatives of the Special Anti-Cultism Squad of the Lagos State Police Command.
In her usual routine, she sent a message to all her children, including Kolade, on Monday to wish them good tidings for the new month, not knowing that Kolade had been killed the previous evening.
The message, which was made available to PUNCH Metro read,
“May Almighty God clothe your days with favour and divine upliftment now and beyond. May he be your shield and protect all that he has given to you. God will mark you and your family out of danger and untimely death. You will enjoy the full benefit of God. You will never sow your seeds for birds to eat. Rejoice for victory has found you and your household and it shall be good news in your family this week and beyond in Jesus Mighty name I pray. Amen. Good morning. Remain blessed and have a fruitful day. Jesus is Lord…….Shalom.”
His stepbrother, Boluwade Awakan, who was in custody of Kolade’s phone after he was killed, said he was heartbroken when the message came in and he had to call family members to break the news to their mother.
PUNCH Metro had reported that some SACS operatives, on Sunday, stormed Olu Aboderin Street in the Onipetesi area of Lagos while the victim was watching a live English Premiership League football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
The operatives were said to have arrested a man, identified simply as Ismail, who was said to be seeing off his girlfriend to the bus stop, but residents protested against the arrest.
One of the operatives allegedly shot in the air to disperse the crowd, but a bullet hit Kolade where he stood and before he could be rushed to hospital, he gave up the ghost.
Speaking with our correspondent on Monday, Awakan, said, “I was coming from Iyana Ipaja on Sunday when I encountered traffic from Mangoro and my elder sister, who Kolade was staying with, called me that something happened to him and I told her that I was on my way and she told me to meet her at the general hospital.
“Because of the traffic, I alighted from the bus and started trekking down till I got to the scene of the incident and I heard people saying that something happened to Kolade and my sister called me again to tell me that he was dead.
“When I got to the mortuary, his friend, who rushed him to the hospital, said Kolade left the house around 4pm to watch the football match at the Kingston Jo eatery and he was there until a man on dreadlocks who was seeing off his girlfriend was accosted by some police officers, who were patrolling the expressway.
“The people around knew the man on dreadlocks, so they came out to prevent the officers from taking him away, because the policemen were not in uniform and nobody knew they were police officers. Kolade also came out but he stood far from where the crowd gathered.
“The officers were trying to scare away the crowd by shooting in the air and a stray bullet hit Kolade where he stood. When I checked his corpse at the morgue I saw where the bullet pierced his hand into his body.
“We informed our mother of the incident this morning around 9am with the help of some family members and she didn’t take it kindly, because she had sent a message to everyone this morning and Kolade’s phone was with me when the message was delivered.”
Awakan urged the Lagos State Police Command to identify the officers and ensure that justice was served.