Sequel to the death of one Adeleke Kehinde in a scuffle with security operatives attached to Trans Amusement Park, in Ibadan, the Oyo State government has ordered the indefinite closure of Pete’s Bar & Lounge, located within the park.
The state Executive Secretary, Bureau of Investment Promotion and Public-Private Partnerships, Mr. Yinka Fatoki, issued the directive in a statement.
Fatoki said the state government aligned with the decision of the management of the Trans Wonderland Nigeria Plc, managers of the park, which had earlier issued a three-month quit notice to Pete’s Bar & Lounge, effective January 12, 2018.
In the correspondence to the Chairman of Pete’s Bar dated November 17, 2017, the management of Trans Wonderland had fingered the lounge for public sale and use of illicit drugs in the park.
Narrating the Monday evening incident to the Nigerian Tribune, Taiwo Adeleke, said his twin brother was shot dead, allegedly by the bar owner, following an argument security operative had with his younger brother over wrongful parking.
“On Monday evening, my twin brother and I, as well as our younger brothers went to Pete’s Bar and Lounge at Trans Amusement Park, Samonda, Ibadan, to relax, as we have been doing since 2015.”
“After arriving there, we asked one of our younger brothers to get us food from Hexagon at Samonda.”
“After 10 minutes, one of our two brothers ran in to tell us that our other brother who drove the car was being beaten by officers of the Operation Burst alongside the owner of the bar.”
“My twin brother and I went out to find out what was happening. We met the owner of the bar, Seyi Olusa a.k.a. Shadalusky, standing with the Operation Burst’s operatives and we expressed our displeasure at the way our brother was being beaten over an issue as trivial as wrongful parking in an enclosed space.”
“My twin brother told the bar owner that he could have called us out of the bar where we came to spend our money for his business, to inform us of our brother’s wrongdoing instead of beating him.”
“Probably they were irked by the way Kehinde spoke, the bar owner responded angrily, saying: “Am I the one you are addressing like that? Am I your age mate”, muttering some slang words I didn’t understand. He pulled at the gun one of the security hanged with a rope on his shoulder, and that was how a shot rang out and hit my brother.”
“Immediately the operatives saw that my brother had been shot, the soldier who had the gun started firing shots into the air and ran into a nearby bush. I held on to Seyi and one of his friends with him, telling him that he has killed my brother.”
“This led to a lot of commotion within the park as we insisted on arresting the person who shot my brother. Meanwhile, my brother was already losing blood.”
“We took him to three different hospitals, starting from the University College Hospital (UCH) to Police Hospital, Eleyele and Molly Hospital, Idi-Ape.”
“He was later certified dead and the Divisional Crime Officer of Sango police station, where we reported the case, later accompanied us to Adeoyo General Hospital, Ring Road, where his dead body was deposited.”
Tribune Online learned that the security operative who had the gun which bullet killed the deceased was a Warrant Officer who would be retiring sometime this year.
Though efforts to speak with the bar owner proved futile, as he was said to have been arrested by the police, a senior police officer who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune said he denied the allegation of killing the deceased.
He was however said to have been detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan for investigation.
According to the senior police officer, “since there is an allegation against the bar owner, he is a suspect until the contrary has been proved. We are investigating the case.”
Also, when contacted, the Army official in charge of operations at the Operation Burst headquarters in Ibadan, Captain Alkali Alkaleri told the Tribune Online that he was not in the position to speak with journalists, as such an issue could only be addressed by the Commander of Operation Burst.
But the Commander could not be reached as he was recently posted to 2 Division of the Nigerian Army to replace the former Commander, Brigadier-General Abdulmumin Yusuf.
When contacted, the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu, said the case is a murder case.
Ajisebutu said the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Odude, had directed the Homicide section of the State CIID to commence a discreet investigation into the case.
“A suspect who is the owner of the bar has been arrested, and is currently helping us in our investigation,” the PPRO said.
