There was pandemonium at Labinkulu village, Moniya, in Akinyele Local Council of Oyo State, on Thursday night, when a 12-man gang pounced on 24-year-old Abass Olalere and reportedly butchered him to death.

Eyewitnesses, who narrated the incident to The Guardian, yesterday, said the brutal act left Olalere hardly recognisable.

The yet-to-be-known assailants invaded Olalere’s house at about 9:48 p.m., and allegedly killed him in the presence of his wife and three-month-old son.

Following the killing, the entire community has been in a mournful mood, wondering what could have led to the murder of Olalare, whom they perceived as an easy-going, gentle young man.

Narrating the ordeal, the victim’s wife, Omolayo, said: “We were together outside at about 9:48 p.m., on Thursday, when the gang suddenly invaded our house.

“I don’t know them, and I can hardly say whether my late husband had any misunderstanding with anybody before he died. When they came in, we quickly rushed inside the house and locked everywhere but they broke the door and destroyed our windows to gain access.

“Before they gained entrance, one of my senior wives who was outside was mercilessly beaten and almost killed.

“When they came in, they told my husband to cooperate with them by laying down on the table in the parlour. When he did that, they started using different weapons such as dagger, ax, knife, broken bottles, cutlasses on him, including charms, to ensure that he died.
“They were 12 in number, and they were all hooded. After they left, we quickly rushed my husband to Cureland Hospital at Moniya, from where they later referred us to another hospital.

“He died the following day. The case has been reported to the Divisional Police Station, Moniya.”

The deceased’s father, 50-year old Jelili Olalere, who was in a confused mood, said he was yet to understand what happened.

“I was shocked because my son was a quiet person. I don’t know what could have prompted those guys to invade my house and destroy many things before killing him.

“They broke my doors, windows and destroyed all our Plasma televisions. They used charms and other dangerous weapons to hit him before they left. We have reported the matter to the police.”

The father said the corpse had been deposited at the morgue in Adeoyo Hospital, Ring Road, Ibadan.

The Oyo State Police Command is yet to confirm the incident; efforts to reach out to its spokesperson, Adewale Osifeso, were unsuccessful.