Somebody took my son and threw him into the sea. My Sunday is a peaceful boy, he does not fight and does not smoke, I can’t believe he is nowhere to be found. I miss him so much”; Sunday’s mother, Mrs Oluyemi Akindele lamented holding her bible to her chest and speaking Yoruba in very low tones.
The humble home of Mr. and Mrs. Alani Akindele of 27. Abdul Rahmon street, in Egan area of Lagos was filled with sympathizers who had come to commiserate with the family on the demise of their son, Mr Sunday Alani.
All of them had one thing or the other to sayabout the young man who had left the house never to return again. For some, Sunday was a bright, respectful and nice young man wjavascript:void(0)ith prospects. He was the toast of the area, not just for his looks but for the charisma he carried. But for others, he may not be that wonderful.
As Vanguard Metro walked into the house, sympathizers sat in groups wearing tearful faces and wondering what this reporter had come to do. “Where are you from Sir”, one of the ladies sitting outside asked. “From Vanguard Newspapers, I would like to see the parents of late Mr. Sunday”.
I responded. “Newspaper ke, who told them.” she retorted. “Oga, go inside, the papa dey inside the house, e ka abo,” she retorted in Yoruba.
Inside the room, were other sympathizers with the father of late Sunday, Mr. Alani Akindele and his eldest uncle, Mr. Shola Akindele. Mr. Alani stood at the window and from time to time his phone rang, probably from friends and relatives, who related how he lost his only son to.
After introductions, Vanguard Metro spoke to Mr. Alani. “I am an electrical engineer working in Apapa, Lagos. I was not even aware that my son was taking the school children to Silverbird Galleria in Victoria Island.
I just got the information that my son went for excursion to Victoria Island and he did not come back with them. They said that he drowned in the water”, Alani said with disbelief in his face”.
Asked if any arrests have been made in connection with the incident, Sunday’s uncle, Mr. Shola said, “Arrest!, Who are we going to arrest, it was just Sunday who went into the water; we were told that he was not pushed into the water. What we did was that we went to the Igando police Station and made a formal report of the incident.
Already the school where he teaches and whose students he took for the excursion had gone before us to make a report”. The case was transferred to the police station at the Lagos Bar Beach for further investigation and search for his body.”
“Sunday is my only son. He was a good and nice young man. He was not one to be involved in unnecessary fights and gallivanting. He just celebrated his 24th birthday last Monday (13th December) and was rejoicing because he got admission into the Lagos State University. And now this has happened”, Mr Akindele said.
“Even the owner of the school where he teaches has come to see us and has promised to help in every way she can. She loved the boy so much. He was one of her best staff”. Late Sunday’s mother, Mrs. Oluyemi Alani, a petty trader selling cooked food in front of their home, sat on a kitchen stool with her Bible held closely to her chest unsure of the whole incident.
She spoke in low tones: “He is my only son, I have four children and he is the only boy. Now he is gone. He was a quiet and gentle boy; he never looks for anyone’s trouble. I don’t know why this has happened to him. I have not seen him since he left the house for the excursion. They said that he drowned in the water.” She said.
“Somebody took my son and threw him into the sea. My Sunday is a peaceful boy, he does not fight and does not smoke, I can’t believe he is nowhere to be found. I miss him so much”
Sunday’s elder sister, Bukola, sitting on the floor cried unconsolably, lamenting the loss of their only brother. “I can not still believe that Sunday will not come home again”, she said as she gave out his picture.
“He is my only brother, we are four and he is the only boy. He was supposed to start lectures at the Lagos State University in January; he was to study Political Science. I miss him” she said, crying.
Narrating the incident to Vanguard Metro, students of the School, Reco Schools also located in Egan area of Lagos, said that, “while we were returning from our visit to Silverbird, our English Teacher, Uncle Sunday told the driver to stop at the Bar Beach so that we can take pictures and relax a little bit before continuing our journey home.
When we asked him if we could continue our journey home, He (sunday) said that he wanted to cool off in the water and started taking off his clothes. Before we knew it, he was in the water.”
“Uncle Sunday had invited all the boys to join him in the water, saying that the girls should stay back. We refused on seeing the way the water was rising, but he insisted and went in, the waves swallowed him, threw him up three times and at the fourth; we could only see his hands and he was gone.” We were confused and called out to him.
But when we did not see him come out of the water, we realized he had drowned. We called out for help and some swimmers entered the water to search for him. We did not see him. We started coming back home in tears.
The Igando Police Station confirmed the incident, saying that the School authority had reported the case and it had been transferred to the Lagos Bar Beach station for further investigations and search
Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com/
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