•Driver Gives Blow-By-Blow Account
On the 23rd of January 2020, popular Lagos-based Trado-Medical Expert, Mr. Fatai Yusuf, otherwise known as Oko Oloyun was killed around 4:30 pm on the road while travelling to Iseyin, Oyo State. He was reportedly attacked by some hoodlums at Igboora. After he was confirmed dead, his corpse was deposited at the mortuary of Igbo-Ora General Hospital.
Before his gruesome murder, Yusuf was the President of Physiotherapists Association of Nigeria. His businesses were Oko-Oloyun Worldwide and De-Fayus International.
He also got involved in some money ventures, promising high returns, as high as 10 per cent to people investing on distributions of his products. People who invest N10m are promised N1m return in two months; N500,000 investments, will yield N50, 000 returns also in two months.
Recently, one of the diseased’s ambassadors, Okiki Bright, who drove him on that fateful day, was our guest at City People Round Table interview and he revealed the true story of how Oko Oloyun was killed. Below are the excerpts.
How long have you known Oko Oloyun before his death?
I got to know him in 2019. I’m a hip hop artist and I’ve been singing since 2010, but I started with Fuji, and I have many albums to my credit.
I’m not his driver. I am one of the company ambassadors, Megatto Ambassador to be précise. We’ve been very close ever since I became his ambassador. We used to be together and I always travel on his behalf to different countries. He also promised me so many things as his ambassador. I also perform anytime there is a show. I did 2 jingles for the company about Megatto product. I’ve also travelled to Dubai to market the product severally. I can say our relationship was very cordial. He loved me so much. We were like blood brothers. He has many drivers but a-times he would ask me to travel with him, so I will be the one driving. He always visits other branches in different states; like Abeokuta, Ibadan, Oshogbo, Ilorin, Iseyin e.t.c.
Where were you when he called you for this particular journey?
I was at home when my phone rang on the 22nd of January. He said “Okiki we are travelling” then I consented.
Did he tell you where you were travelling to?
If you are with Chairman, you won’t first know where you are travelling to. And if you travel with him, there is no assurance of a particular place you are sleeping. I agreed with him and we left Lagos.
At what time?
It was in the afternoon, at around 4 pm.
How many were you in his car?
We were 3 in his car, I, Chairman and a lady. Chairman was sitting beside me, in front, as he doesn’t like sitting at the owner’s corner. The lady sat at the back. On getting to Abeokuta that night, we slept over in his house. The following day he called me to get prepared, to continue with our journey. We were on the way facing Lagos when Chairman suddenly asked me to face Iseyin road, and also asked me to call the escort, who he said was supposed to have asked him before he faced Lagos road. I had to call the escort on phone while I was already on Iseyin road. They turned back immediately and they were coming behind us. They were always at the front to clear road, not because of any serious reason. Chairman was a very simple man to the core. He never thinks anyone is after his life. There is no where he cannot stop to eat. So the escort was coming behind us. Just immediately after Igboora, around 4:30 pm, there were lots of Police checkpoints along that road. On getting to the next check-point, I had to hit the break because of a big pothole there. As I was about to come out of that big pothole we heard a gunshot. Then, Chairman getting panicky and breathless, asked me to turn back immediately. The road is very narrow and there were potholes around, so it wasn’t that easy for me to turn back sharply. We only heard the sound of the gun, we didn’t see anybody and Chairman shouted again “Mr Okiki Turn Back”. By this time, they were shooting at our car sporadically. It was as if we were acting American movie. Before I could make the U-turn and face Igboora, the bullet had penetrated and hit Chairman.
And what about the Lady that sat at the back?
The lady was sitting behind me but the bullet penetrated the owner’s corner side. Seeing that Chairman had been hit, I was confused, and I didn’t know what to do again. I just parked, opened the door and started shouting. I saw the escort at my back, shooting into the forest as we couldn’t see anyone shooting at us, the bullets were just coming from the forest. I started shouting, telling the escort that Chairman had been hit, but at that moment they couldn’t stop shooting, and I also had to run for my life. I jumped inside the thick forest and I was running, not even knowing where I was running to. Later I found myself outside again beside our escort truck, by this time our own police were still shooting but others have stopped. We moved to the car, I carried the chairman and started weeping and calling out his name to wake up, to talk to me. My brain at that moment wasn’t functioning well.
Where was this lady at the time you jumped out of the car?
The lady too ran for her life. I even met her in the bush. When I heard her footsteps I thought it was one of the killers coming behind me.
You said you noticed there was a check-point in front of you. Where were the policemen, didn’t they hear the gunshot?
They heard, though by the time I came out from the forest, I saw 2 out the police that joined our own policemen. I wouldn’t know if they were shooting with their gun because by then, nobody was firing at us again.
After carrying him, where did you take him to?
We took him to Igboora police.
Was he still breathing then?
He was already dead but nobody could medically confirm it. From the police station we were asked to take him to General Hospital. At the General Hospital, we were there for close to 30mins we didn’t see any doctor to attend to us. When we didn’t see anybody we went back to the station.
Who now called his family to inform them of Chairman’s death?
We couldn’t even call anyone because the police had seized our phones from us. I guess it was the DPO that called Area commander who met us there, Later Commissioner of Police in Oyo State also met us there, and they moved all of us to Iyaganku in Ibadan to write statement, but we dropped him at the nearby mortuary first.
How best can you describe Oko Oloyun, what kind of man was he?
Like I said Chairman was a very good man to a fault. He’s a man that at times he doesn’t behave like he’s rich. He was very free with everybody. With the little time I moved closer to him. I learnt so many things from him. The day he sent me to Dubai, I didn’t know I was going to travel. I was just at one of his sites. He came in and he said “Mr Okiki e wa sere lo si Dubai” I was surprised. If you were close to him you will enjoy him. As he’s thinking of his life he’s thinking of other people that surround him. A rich man like him is very rear. I can never speak evil of him. It’s just that many people don’t know how good he was.
What will now happen to people that he caters for when he was alive, like you?
Many are already a living corpse since the day Chairman died. He was a great supporter. He has a good heart. I’ve been in the entertainment industry for a while. But ever since I met him, I noticed my business started moving. People know me. He had beautiful plans for me. Had it been that he didn’t die I would have gone for Hajj this year. I would have gotten a new car. His death disorganized my personal life, talk less of other artistes. So his death will affect many people.
Based on your experience in the whole saga, who would say is responsible for his death?
Only God knows what is hidden. There is no one that can say this is the person that is responsible for his death but God knows best.
