Ondo businessman’s ‘suicide’: Family cries foul play, asks police to interrogate wife
…as uncle alleges he did video under duress, later ‘killed’ by someone, urges security agencies to examine video, probe circumstances surrounding his final moments
Family of a 46-year-old businessman, Kayode Akinbolusere, popularly known as Tolufe, has raised the alarm over his death after he reportedly recorded a video shortly before allegedly taking his own life at his office in Igba, Ondo State, alleging that the circumstances surrounding his ‘suicide’ were suspicious.
Akinbolusere, the owner of Esther Estate in Ondo State, was said to have killed himself on Thursday after allegedly drinking sniper, a poisonous substance.
According to the businessman in a video that went viral on social media before his death, he had had some struggles in life but which he didn’t specifically mention, stressing that he was leaving his properties to his wife, Esther, and their three children currently living in Canada.
He also emphasised that he was making the decision to will his property voluntarily and not pressured by anyone to do so.
Akinbolusere had emphasised, “I am doing this video on behalf of my family. I, Akinbolusere Kayode, is doing my will on my property. I am doing this on my own; nobody put pressure on me. I woke up and left for work, leaving my family at home.
“The first and second machines I was using at work developed a fault. I was imagining what was happening. When I started my business, I started from the scratch and was very transparent about it.
“My wife knew how I suffered. She didn’t trouble me. I will all my properties to my wife, Akinbolusere Esther, who hails from Ekiti, and my three children who are in Canada.
“My wife stood by me when I had nothing and never for once wronged me. She was very supportive when I had nothing, especially when I was working as a barber. I was the one who destroyed everything with carelessness.”
But the late businessman’s uncle, Femi Akinbolusere, said the family suspected that Kayode might have made the video under duress.
He said the manner in which the Kayode said he was “surrendering” his property raised questions that should be thoroughly investigated by the police.
According to the late businessman’s uncle, “We are grieving, please. You heard all he said laughing that he surrendered. Is that a gift to anybody? Is that a will? As if somebody was behind his seat pointing a gun at him. How can somebody say I am surrendering everything to my wife and three children?”
“If security operatives look at the voice very well, won’t they find that some people were behind making him say what he was saying? Is it not that they placed a gun behind him?”
Femi stressed that the police should examine the video and probe the circumstances surrounding Kayode’s final moments.
“That clip is enough to give them [the police] the clue. That word ‘surrender’, doesn’t it mean that they forced him? They just killed him. Somebody was behind him telling him to say this and that and he was saying it. This is terrible.
“All those things he was saying, did he say he shared his property? Who is telling you to surrender anything? Somebody forcing you to surrender. People should look at it. Security operatives should look at it.
“They said he should be laughing and he was laughing. They should go and conduct an autopsy for the body. He said he offended his wife. Who is that wife? Even if he goes ahead to have another wife, does it warrant for him to be killed? That wife should be called to answer so many questions.”
But the police in Ondo said preliminary findings did not show signs of foul play regarding the late businessman’s suicide.
State Police Public Relations Officer, Abayomi Jimoh, said in a statement on Friday that the command had begun an investigation into the suspected suicide.
Police said Akinbolusere, a resident of Road 7, Housing Estate, Igba, was found dead in his office beside BOVAS Petrol Station, Igba Town, at about 3 p.m. on Thursday, adding, “Upon receipt of the information, police operatives attached to Bolorunduro Division visited the scene, where two empty bottles suspected to have contained Sniper insecticide were recovered from a nearby bush.”
“Preliminary findings also revealed that the deceased had allegedly recorded a video before his death, which has since circulated on social media, in which he reportedly lamented about his life struggles.
“His remains were subsequently evacuated and deposited at the State Hospital Morgue for preservation and further examination. No foul play or visible marks of violence were observed on his body at the time of examination.”
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