“I cooked for him and bathed him that morning. When he finished eating, I dressed him up and he went outside to play. After a while, I looked around the compound but I could not find him. I also checked our neighbours’ houses, thinking he might be playing there. “People joined me to look for him around the community, yet we did not find him. We later reported the incident to the baale and the police. To our surprise, we found his corpse in a well at an uncompleted building not far from our house. The well was not covered.”…GRAND MOTHER
Parents of a five-year-old boy, Opeyemi Oke, have yet to come to terms with the reality of the death of their only child.
Opeyemi, a kindergarten pupil, was found dead inside a well dug near an uncompleted building in Osere, Agbado area of Ogun State, where he lived with her mother and grandmother.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that Opeyemi had gone missing around 9am on Sunday after he was dressed up by his grandmother.
The grandmother together with residents was said to have searched round the community for him to no avail.
It was gathered that the incident was reported to the baale(the traditional leader) of the community who also sent a search party to look for the kid. After their efforts proved abortive, the case was reported at the Agbado Police Station by the family.
Our correspondent was told that during another round of search on Wednesday, a resident observed “a floating object” in the well, which is a few metres away from the deceased’s grandmother’s compound. He reportedly raised the alarm and the police were alerted to the discovery.
The grandmother, Mrs. Olayide Titiloye, said “the object” turned out to be Opeyemi’s corpse when it was eventually recovered from the well.
She said, “I cooked for him and bathed him that morning. When he finished eating, I dressed him up and he went outside to play. After a while, I looked around the compound but I could not find him. I also checked our neighbours’ houses, thinking he might be playing there.
“People joined me to look for him around the community, yet we did not find him. We later reported the incident to the baale and the police. To our surprise, we found his corpse in a well at an uncompleted building not far from our house. The well was not covered.”
The grandfather of the deceased, Mr. Olabanji Titiloye, stated the owner of the uncompleted building vacated the property about two months ago, adding that the well was dug along a path that people usually pass through.
“The house belongs to one Niyi. He completed an apartment in the building and was living there. But about two months ago, he relocated from the community. The incident would have been averted if the well was covered. It was along the pathway. However, we have accepted it as the will of God,” he added.
Opeyemi’s father, Segun Oke, a bricklayer, said he was at work on Wednesday when his brother called him on the telephone about his son’s death. Segun was in tears while he described Opeyemi as an agile, smart boy, adding that it was painful to learn that his son was dead.
“I last saw him in March. I was not informed that he was missing. It was very painful to let it go, but there is nothing I can do. I am not married yet; he was my only child. I love him so much. He was very active and smart,” he added.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, blamed the incident on the negligence of the owner of the well, adding that the police had launched a manhunt for him.
He said, “The police are looking for the owner of the well. It was his negligence that led to the death of the boy. The tragedy would have been averted if he had covered the well. He will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.”
PUNCH
