Alabi Opeyemi is the son of Mrs Deborah Abiodun, who was allegedly raped to death by her co-worker in the Oke Odu area of Akure, Ondo State, on January 17, 2024. He speaks with PETER DADA on the incident
How old are you?
My name is Alabi Opeyemi. I am 34 years old and I am the son of Mrs Deborah Abiodun, who was killed recently at her place of work.
Are you the only child of the deceased?
No, I am her male child; we are two and my elder sister is married and lives in Omuo Ekiti, Ekiti State.
What can you say about the incident?
What I can say about the incident is that on Monday (January 15, 2024), I went to my mum’s place of residence and I left there very early on Tuesday morning. On Thursday, I received a call that something had happened to my mum and the person who called me made the call from Akoko; after the call, my cousin and I went to Oke Odu, and when we got there, we went to a pastor’s house and he explained everything to me. The owner of the company where she worked called me and said he was in the hospital, that he took someone there and that when he left, he would call me back. So, immediately he called, he asked us to meet him at the Okuta Elerinla Police Station. When we met him there, I saw the suspect; I was asked some questions, and after that, we left the station. On Friday, I was told that the matter had been taken to court by the SIB (State Investigation Bureau, of the Ondo state police command).
What was she doing at the place of work?
The place is a garri processing factory. She was a garri fryer.
For how long had she been working there?
She had been working there for over 10 years.
Where is her husband, your father?
Our father is late, he died over 20 years ago. I was in primary 5 then.
How come the suspect got to her and committed the crime?
She and the suspects were both working in the factory. There is a two-room apartment built on the premises of the factory where they lived. She was living in one of the rooms in the apartment while the suspect stayed in the other room.
How long has the suspect been living in the apartment?
The suspect was there before and he left for some time but later he came back but didn’t spend up to three months before he committed the act.
What is his duty at the factory?
He operates the machine that fries garri and also he cleans the poultry.
But whenever you visited your mother at the place of work, did she ever complain to you if the suspect had attempted to sexually harass her before?
No, my mother never told me anything about him in that regard, but she only complained to me about his behaviour that he talked to her anyhow and won’t do whatever was asked of him; that was the only thing she complained to me about him.
What step has the owner of the factory taken on this matter?
I know the owner of the company has taken a step. He was the one who took the matter to court as I heard.
Where were you when the incident happened?
I was at my place in the Obanla area of Akure when the incident happened. The incident happened on a Wednesday, but I heard on Thursday morning. They said the incident happened in the evening between 7pm and 8pm.
From what you heard, how did the suspect carry out the act?
It was when we got to the police station that he confessed that he wanted to rape her and when they were struggling, she ran outside and he pursued her. So, to prevent her from exposing him, he killed her. He said he didn’t use a machete but used a stone to hit her and she died. He didn’t confess straightforwardly, but according to his statement, he said he dumped her corpse in a pit in the compound.
So, how did the people get to know about the incident?
According to what I heard, the suspect was the one who went out to call the attention of people in the neighbourhood that he had not seen the deceased. So, they searched the compound and he even joined them in searching for her. Later, an evangelist in the church where my late mother was attending testified that she didn’t go out at night, but they would find something to do about the matter. So, after he was interrogated, at first, he didn’t confess, but when we got to the SIB, that was when he confessed that he killed her so that she wouldn’t expose him. He also said he was under the influence of alcohol as he took four bottles of beer and smoked sticks of cigarettes. He said that was what pushed him to commit the crime. The suspect is from Benue State. Now, he’s in the correctional centre, and the case is in court and has been adjourned till the 27th of March.
With what you said now, that means he didn’t rape her?
I don’t know if he raped her or not. What I heard was that he said he wanted to rape her but she struggled with him and ran out, and as she was running out, she fell before reaching the main gate of the factory.
Were there no neighbours around the place at that particular time to rescue her when she cried for help?
There are houses around but the place is like an estate. Generators were on at that time. So, I think the noise might not let the neighbour hear her cry for help.
How would you describe your late mother?
My mother was a very easygoing person who didn’t quarrel with people. Her daily schedule was always church and her work and also the farm; she was a very friendly person. I don’t know why this happened to her.
When did you last see her and what was your last discussion?
The last time I saw her was early Tuesday morning, a day before her demise and she gave me some foodstuffs when I was leaving. What we discussed last was that she wanted my sister and her husband to come home and see her because they didn’t come home during Christmas and New Year festivals to spend some time with her. So, she said this coming Easter, all of us must come to Akure and spend time with her. We also discussed my music career.
Are you into music?
I am a musician and a comedian. I also rap and sing hip-hop. I mix with people but don’t have any track yet, I’m just trying to come out with one.
So what do you want now on the issue of your mum’s death?
I want justice; I want the perpetrator to face the full wrath of the law. Also, there is a problem with the burial arrangements; we ought to have buried her on our father’s land, but the family disagreed. They said even the children never came home after our father died, so they can’t allow us to bring her to my father’s hometown. There is no money; even the lawyer helping us with the case is doing it for free.
Are your father and mother not from the same place?
No! My mother was from Ipogun in Ondo State, while my father was from Ise Ekiti, Ekiti State.
How would you miss your late mother?
I will miss her a lot. She was a caring mother. As I am now, I’m being weighed down; I don’t have anything. Like I said, I’m a musician; she was trying to raise money for me to enter the studio to release an album, but all is gone now. Her death has affected my music career now; I need help.
