Mrs. Funke Abilesanmi. Inset: Tayese
Mrs. Funke Abilesanmi’s eyes were blazing red. She had cried all day but one could only imagine the sadness and anger that filled her mind as she sat with her right hand supporting her jaw in front of 27, Mabawonku Street in Oworonsoki area of Lagos on Wednesday.
Just two days before, news had filtered to her that her son, 37-year-old Yemi Tayese, had been hacked to pieces by unknown assailants and dumped on the Oworonsoki highway.
A photograph of the victim’s body, which our correspondent obtained, was too gory for publication. But it was obvious some parts of the body were missing. The problem is, the mother of the victim is aware of this fact and this has become her current emotional torment.
Tayese’s body was removed by the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit on Saturday afternoon after some vehicles had run over the remains a few times.
No member of the family had the courage to walk up to the woman, to inform her about the death of her son, let alone the state of the body, the victim’s aunty, Mrs. Sulaimon Iyabode, told Kunle Falayi Of Saturday Punchng
Narrating how she heard about her son’s death, Abilesanmi said one of her relations, who had heard about Tayese’s death came to tell her that she needed to go to Oworonsoki, where her son lived because he was ill.
She said, “I told her that if indeed he was ill, the best thing was for him to go to his father’s house. I dismissed it as just a minor thing.
“But I noticed that she was crying as she left. I immediately knew something bad had happened to my son. I called another relation and pretended as if I had been told what happened. The person immediately started crying about Yemi being killed. That’s when I knew.
“Someone I did not know called me later and said Yemi was hacked into pieces and dumped on the road. I felt as if I had been stricken by a trailer by that news. I never imagined what grouse anybody would have with my son to make them treat him that way.”
The last time Abilesanmi saw her son was three weeks ago, it was learnt; a mother and son encounter that left no inkling that they were both parting forever.
Family members were around, pleading with the grieving mother to stop crying as she spoke but with each anguish-laden word, she burst into sobs.
She said, “I don’t have any case with whoever the police have arrested in connection with my son’s death. I just need his body back. Everybody connected with his death will die the way he has been murdered. I need my son’s body back complete. I heard they have removed his head and some parts of the body. I must get all his body parts back.
“I visited his apartment here (27, Mabawonku Street) three weeks ago. I was living here before but when I moved to Ikorodu, he remained. I was just surprised because he was still living in this area and I did not like that. I had told him before to move out of this rough area.
“I was surprised when I came here and he still had not moved out. He prostrated and told me that I should not worry that he had already packed his belongings and would move out soon. Our plan was that he would join his brother in Abuja. I left that day not knowing I was seeing my son for the last time. If only he had moved out of Oworonsoki as I had advised him, he would have been alive today.”
Saturday PUNCH spoke with some residents who claimed that they heard gunshots on Mabawonku Street the night Tayese was murdered.
One of Tayese’s friends who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he probably was the last person to see him alive.
He said he was with the deceased with other friends till about 12.30am on Friday night before they all retired to their respective houses.