So painful!! .....A sad end for a generous heart!

•You killed our father–Family of Lagos businessman shot dead at a fundraiser
•No, it was accidental discharge –Suspect

It was Ben Okri, one of the celebrated Nigerian writers, who wrote in his famous book, The Famished Road,that “Many things happen among the living that only the dead can explain and many things happen among the dead that only the living can explain.” Indeed, life is no more but a paradox. Or how else does one explain the tragedy that befell the family of a Lagos-based businessman on Sunday, August 4? Until life was snuffed out of him in a most gruesome manner, Alhaji Karimu Kadiri, popularly known as Karimu Famous, was a bubbly man, who had so many beautiful dreams.

On that fateful day, the amiable businessman had left his home to attend a fund-raising event organised by the indigenes of Igbaja Community of Kwara State at the Gaskiya play ground in Ijora, Lagos. For him, the event was most important, as he had thought that he would be able to re-connect with some of his old buddies. But if he was clairvoyant, he would have either tarried a while or even stayed indoors. But no, he needed to ‘socialize’ and even made his contribution to the development of his home town.  However, he never realised that death was lurking around.  And then, the day turned out a black one for his family.
At the scene of the incident, you would have shed hot tears, even if you had just feasted on the head of a tortoise. Alhaji Kadiri was too good and large-hearted to die so soon. If tears, wailing and lamentations could bring him back to life, the Igbaja, Kwara State-born philanthropist would have been around again, laughing with his family and feasting on his favourite amala and gbegiri as breakfast or dinner.
In a chat with Daily Newswatch, the personal driver to the late businessman, famously called Baba Ruka, said, “We were at the Gaskiya play ground in Ijora, Lagos, the  venue for the Ramadan lecture organised by indigenes of Igbaja Community in Kwara State. The lecture is an annual event usually held in Lagos with the objective of bringing together Igbaja businessmen in Lagos. On that fateful day, I drove Alhaji to the venue. However, the programme didn’t commence as scheduled. As at the time we got there, not too many people were in attendance. We were still expecting other invited guests and the organisers too were busy trying to put finishing touches to the arrangement.
“Few minutes after we got there, the compere announced the arrival of Alhaji Raimi Oladimeji, another prominent indigene of Igbaja, Kwara State. So, as a mark of honour, Alhaji went out of the venue to receive him (Alhaji Oladimeji). But as they were exchanging pleasantries, some miscreants were hailing and chanting their praises. At the same time, some members of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, were also shooting into the air.  Really, we saw it as a mark of respect for the courageous and dedicated businessmen. That they were accorded such an honour did not come to me as a surprise because my boss and his friend are well known, especially among the business community in Lagos State.”
‘’Suddenly, the man that shot at Alhaji surfaced at the gathering from nowhere, holding a gun. Immediately, he joined the crowd, demanding money from Alhaji. Without delay, Alhaji gave him a N100 note. But someone then informed Alhaji that the guy had a reputation for killing indiscriminately and going scot-free.  In view of this piece of information coupled with the fact that the guy was holding a gun, Alhaji then added N500 to the N100 he had earlier given him.  So, Alhaji was confident that he had pacified the apostle of death. But he was wrong!

Ismail, the suspect in police cell

“At about 2.00pm, people were still trickling into the venue of the fund-raising event; and that made the venue to come alive, so to say. All the while, both my boss and Alhaji Oladimeji were still outside exchanging greetings and discussing other issues. Actually, the lecture was also a kind of a re-union for the two buddies and business partners.  ‘’I stood behind my boss while he was discussing with Alhaji Oladimeji. But I could still see the guy standing very close to him. I don’t know what was on his mind whether he wanted to join others in shooting into the air or if it was a deliberate act. Nobody could tell. But suddenly I heard a shrieking cry of “Yee, ori mi!’’( My head!). It was a painful cry from Alhaji and he fell.
That was when it dawned on us that the man’s bullet had hit Alhaji in the head. Instantly, people scampered for safety. Luckily, the man was apprehended and held down. He was later handed over to the police while Alhaji was rushed to the Ikeja General Hospital. But he died before they got there.’’ When the news of his death broke out, the entire environ was enveloped with gloom. There was panic in the air.  Tears flowed freely down the eyes of his family, friends, associates and beneficiaries. Since the unfortunate incident, the questions that have literally been dancing on the lips of many are: What was the man doing there?   Why were members of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress at an Islamic Ramadan lecture with guns in broad daylight?
Speaking with Daily Newswatch, Rasak Ayinde, said, “Maybe it was for the protection of the eminent businessmen that were in attendance. Ijora is rough and inhabited by some people of questionable character.  Nonetheless, it is a community populated by indigenes of Kwara State. I think this was part of the reasons it was chosen as the venue of the lecture. Nobody could think of such a thing happening there. There were businessmen and prominent Igbaja indigenes in attendance. Even the Alhaji that was killed was popular within the Igbaja community. He was a philanthropist and a successful businessman. You know, Ijora is rough and full of miscreants. So, considering the calibre of these men, the OPC members might have been at the venue to offer protection to them. But unfortunately, it turned out disastrous. The event in the long run could not hold as people left immediately they heard the gunshot.
Grief-stricken could best describe the mood of friends, family members and business associates of the late Kadiri who was the chairman of Kadico Group of Companies. At his Apapa Road residence in Lagos, his aged mother cut the picture of a devastated soul. She was inconsolable. She was still in shock to unburden the grief in her heart.  The house was like a Mecca of sorts, as sympathisers kept coming in twos, threes and more. The bereaved mother was surrounded by sympathisers, who were ‘feeding’ her with numerous Quranic allusions. The sympathisers cried their eyes out for obvious reasons: for the loss of the beloved family member and for the fear that no one could fill the vacuum created by his death.
A family member, who spoke under anonymity, said, “Alhaji was helping my family financially, since the relocation of iron dealers in Orile to Owode. Business has been dull for my family. But with this unfortunate incident, how do I cope?”Obviously disillusioned, Kazeem Kadiri, one of the children of the deceased, expressed shock at what he termed “painful and sudden death” of his dear father. With a heavy heart, he said, “Nothing I say will bring back the dead. Nobody ever imagined Alhaji would never return from the lecture. But what can we do than to accept our fate? He had since been taken to Igbaja to be buried in accordance with Muslim rites”, Kazeem concluded.
During a brief discussion with the suspect, Ismail Ramon, at the Nigeria Police Divisional Headquarters, Amukoko, Lagos, he claimed that “it was an accidental discharge”.  But when asked to reveal the source of his gun and his intent at an Islamic programme, he said, “I am a member of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress and five of us were invited to take charge of security at the fund-raiser by the organisers, the Igbaja Community, through our leader called ‘’Apere’’( Basket) . When Alhaji Kadiri arrived at the venue, I was the person that led his car into the car park. Then, we were told that Alhaji Oladimeji would also be in attendance. So, the “Boys’’ started trooping in because they knew that Alhaji Oladimeji would surely give out substantial amount of money. So, when he eventually arrived at the scene, we cleared the path for him to have his way into the venue.
“That was my first meeting with Alhaji Oladimeji, I have been hearing about him, though as he is the Baba Oja of Orisunmbare Market, where I sell men’s wear. When Obasanjo, another member of the OPC, told me that he would be coming, we, therefore, pledged our support at ensuring maximum protection.  It was when I was shooting into the air to clear the driveway for Alhaji Oladimeji’s car that Alhaji Kadiri got hit by the bullet. In fact, nobody was aware that he had been hit by my bullet; I was the person that raised the alarm. I owned up that I was the one that fired the shot. At that time, people were running up and down, while some were saying I should run away from the scene. But why should I run away?  I could not explain how he got hit with the bullet because I pointed the gun into the sky. So, how it hit him in the head remains a mystery to me.
“We were hired to provide protection at the event and I never knew Alhaji Kadiri from Adam. That was my first time of coming in contact with him. One of Alhaji Kadiri’s children, a trader at the Orisunmbare Market, ran to me, saying that I had killed his father. Why would I want to kill him? It was not intended. That people are saying that I deliberately killed Alhaji is not true. I didn’t demand money from him. I was the person standing beside Alhaji Oladimeji with a white handkerchief strapped to my head.  Our presence was not to demand money, but to provide security. While we were trying to rescue Alhaji, I was attacked by some angry mob and beaten severely. God is my witness, it was a mistake. I was rescued by the policemen from Amukoko.”
When Daily Newswatch visited the residence of Alhaji Raimi Oladimeji, who was with the deceased on that day, as one of his aides, identified as Baba Kafaya, said he had travelled for the burial.  Commenting on the sad development, he said, “Baba returned home early from the lecture that was to take the whole of the day. Immediately, I knew something was wrong. But I never thought it could be this fatal. He was seated at the sitting room, looking into the space. I asked what the problem was and he narrated the details of what happened to me. He said Alhaji Famous was shot dead at the venue. That was the least of what I expected to hear about Alhaji. But then, the reality is that he is dead.’’
However, when Daily Newswatch contacted Alhaji Oladimeji on the telephone, he said, “am on my way to Kwara for the burial. As you know, he was a Muslim and must be buried in line with Islamic injunction. Immediately, he was felled by the bullet, what was paramount on our mind was how we could save his life and not the police station the culprit was taken to. But before we could get to the hospital, he had died. But we learnt later that he was arrested on the spot. But I must say that what happened to Alhaji Karimu Kadiri could have happened to anyone. That is why there is an urgent need for the government to beef up security and also address poverty, as it is the root cause of every criminal act.’’
Daily Newswatch gathered that the deceased and his younger brother owned the popular Ikolaba Trading Stores which was part sponsors of the popular Yoruba TV programmes, Tan Mo o, a quiz show on the NTA 7 in the 70s through 80s. Their sponsorship of the television quiz show made the Igbaja brothers and their enterprise very popular in those days. The quiz show was reputed for giving out various gifts to participants, a situation that endeared them to many families. The program enjoyed wide coverage and acceptability among Nigerians then. Until his death, Alhaji Kadiri was the Asoju-Oba and Asiwaju Adeen of Igbaja Land in Kwara State. Meanwhile, the Divisional Police Officer of Nigeria Police Station, Amukoko, Lagos who personally arrested the two suspects blamed the organisers of the event for hosting an event of such magnitude without informing the police.
The DPO stated that “There has never been a time an event held within that school premises that we were not there to ensure that everybody was adequately protected. Even when we were not invited, we went to the venue to forestall any breach of security. With the calibre of people that was in attendance at the fund-raising, they should have informed the police, so that we could provide security. What happened was quite unfortunate. My men were at the scene, where we rescued the suspect from being lynched. We have arrested two suspects and on the order of the commissioner of police through the area commander, the case have been transferred to the state CID, Panti, for prosecution.”
Oh, what a sad end for a generous heart!

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