A man, Fatai Akorede was recently given the beating of his life after he allegedly stole a large amount of money and six tins of milk from a shop in Ogbomosho town, Oyo State.
The day was the third day of the Holy month of Ramadan and Akorede, an ardent Muslim, was also observing the fasting and he was desperate to see it through. Among the numerous retail shops along the stretch at Bode Eni Afe area of the town is one owned by one Mrs. Basirat Abass, who sells provisions and staple food items.
On 11 July, 2013, Abass reportedly left her shop to attend a get-together of a friend at the other side of the road. Before leaving for the party, she reportedly asked that a salesgirl of one of her co-traders look after her shop for her. It was reported that while she was eating and making merry at the party, she had one eye glued to her shop across the road.
It was further reported that on a couple of occasions when customers came to purchase items, the salesgirl would dash to the other side of the road where Abass sat with her friends to converse with her on the actual price of the items.
Barely an hour after Abass left her shop, Akorede arrived there in a flowing Agbada, asking to see the owner of the shop.
When he was told that the owner of the shop was in the festivities on the other side of the road, the man reportedly offered to wait until she returned. But when the salesgirl reportedly volunteered to go and call the woman, Akorede advised otherwise but insisted that he would allow the woman enjoy herself at the party.
He offered to sit down and wait for her to return, telling the salesgirl that he had an appointment with the shop owner. Feeling no longer any need to run across the road again to call Abass to her shop, the salesgirl reportedly went into her mistress’ shop to attend to some customers already waiting there too.
While the salesgirl and Akorede engaged in the conversation, Abass was reportedly observing the scene going on in her shop. Apparently when she saw the ‘customer’ at her shop sitting down after the long conversation with the salesgirl, Abass felt she needed to attend to the man herself and so she got up and dashed across the road.
By this time, Akorede reportedly got up from his seat and briefly entered the inner chamber of the shop. He reportedly came out dipping both hands inside the two pockets in his trousers. He also reportedly picked up six tins of milk from the displayed items outside the shop and set to depart.
While Abass battled to cross the road amidst the racing vehicles, she glimpsed the stranger in her shop went in and came out of the shop and picked the tins of milk from the shelf outside the shop. It was reported that just as Akorede wanted to leave the shop, Abass accosted him and demanded for the payment for the tins of milk in his hand.
The ensuing argument immediately drew the attention of other shop owners in the area and also the salesgirl that reportedly attended to Akorede when he first arrived in the shop.
Abass continued: “When I asked to whom he gave the money for the ix tins of milk in his hand, no convincing answer was forthcoming. I then started talking at the top of my voice. That brought two of my colleagues in the area to the scene.
While the two women were talking with him, I ran inside the shop to check the money I left in my handbag because I saw him entering my shop. I was shocked to see the handbag wide open and the N430, 000 meant to pay some of my suppliers vanished.”
It was then that she ran out of the shop cursing and yelling at the top of her voice on Akorede. She also held to his cloth.
While that went on, Akorede reportedly made to show her where he bought the items from by pointing at a particular direction.
As soon as Abass shifted her attention to the pointed area, Akorede made the dash for it. Abass and other women around then gave Akorede a hot chase yelling thief! thief!!. Some men in the area reportedly joined in the chase and eventually apprehended Akorede.
He was given the beating of his life and then taken to Owode Police Station in the area. When asked the rationale behind his action,, Akorede initially denied stealing. Rather, he insisted that he bought the items from a nearby shop.
But when asked to take them to the shop where he purchased the tins of milk, Akorede reportedly owned up to his crime.
“I am well known to the owner of the shop, and all that happened was not intended to cause her any havoc. In any case it was the work of the devil,” Akorede said.
After his alleged confession, Akorede was reportedly given the beating of his life before he was taken to police custody.
A police source at the station confirmed the incident but declined to give details, claiming the head of the division was in a better position to do so.
However, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of the station was not around for clarifications but the Station Officer claimed investigation was ongoing.
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