The son of a former Ondo Military Administrator, Brig.-Gen. Okpaleye, was killed on Wednesday by gunmen in Lagos State.
The incident, according to a source occured at a drinking spot at Adekunle Kuye, off Ikate street, Aguda in Surulere, when the deceased, Muyuwa Okpaleye, 40, was hanging out with his friends. The gunmen, who were reportedly four in number, parked their Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) at an adjoining street, then approached the joint where people gathered to drink herbal mixtures touted as COVID-19 cure.
The source added that, on sighting Okpaleye in the crowd, two of the men readjusted their hoods and advanced towards the gathering. The crowd, seeing the movement of the hooded men, including a relation of a former Lagos Governor, dispersed with people running in different directions.
It was also gathered that the gunmen verified if the gun hit Okpaleye before they fled from the scene. Okpaleye’s friend, alongside every other person at the joint, took to their heels leaving him behind.
However, kunle, one of Okpaleye’s friend, returned to rush him to a nearby hospital in Okpaleye’s Honda City Sedan car, but he was confirmed dead by doctors when he arrived at the hospital.
Unfortunately for Kunle, the Police at Soloki Station, Aguda invited him for interrogation. He was eventually detained and moved him to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Panti as a suspect Already, homicide detectives at SCIID have commenced investigation to unearth the culprits just as Okpaleye’s friends who were at the joint were being trailed to get their accounts of the incident.
Given that other witnesses might have gone into hiding because for fear that the assassination might be cult -related, giving the recurring gang wars within Surulere that has seen two other persons killed in similar manner since last December, it was gathered that Kunle is still being held.