Mushin Gang War: Family Recounts Ordeal

The family of the late Timothy Olawale Akingbehin of Ofada Street, Mushin Lagos State, Southwest  Nigeria, has narrated their ugly experience in the gang war in the area.

The family whose father, the late T.O Akingbehin was allegedly killed by hired assassins sponsored by  a land speculator, over his landed properties at Agege area in the state in May 2002, a source said,  has become the subject of attack since the incident.

The family source who does not want his name mentioned for fear of further attacks on the family told  P.M.NEWS that  30-year old Olakunle Akingbehin, who allegedly witnessed how their father was callously  killed, has also been missing since March 2010.

The source said that immediately after the killing of the head of the family, whose corpse was exhumed  from the landed property, another person erected a structure on the land. Meanwhile, the land  speculators have promised to deal with all the male children in the family.

The source said that on three occasions, attempts were made on Olakunle’s life before his  disappearance.

Apart from Olakunle whose disappearance still remains a mystery to the family, it was gathered that  other three members of the family namely Babalola, Shola and Tosin, are currently nursing injuries  sustained during the last attack on the Akingbehin family.

Speaking on the attack from a private orthopaedic hospital, the 29-year old Tosin Akingbehim, who was  shot in the left leg on Tuesday last week, said: “As I wanted to go and grind pepper at about 8 p.m.  on Tuesday, I just heard a voice saying this is one of them, shoot her, the next thing I could  remember was that I tried to get up but I could not.” Tosin said she cannot identify those behind the  act as they were all dressed in black attire, just like the cultists that have taken over the whole  area.

Prior to the attack on Tosin, the family source informed P.M.NEWS that Sola and Babalola, who have  machete cuts on the head were said to have fought with some boys in the area, who later came back on a  reprisal mission which led to the shooting of Tosin.

The family therefore appealed to the police authorities  to  find those behind the attacks on the  Akingbehim family as well help in finding  Olakunle who has  been missing since March last year.

—Paul Sanusi