Mosaku Street (inset: Mamok )
| credits: Samson Folarin
Tension engulfed Oshodi, Lagos State, on Thursday, after Olayinka Mamowora, akaMamok, a close aide of the Oshodi chapter chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, was killed.
Mamok was also said to be a former bodyguard of a former Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Our correspondent, who visited the community, observed as some men gathered around the NURTW secretariat on Oshodi Road, drinking alcoholic beverages.
Residents said the men were angry at the death of Mamok and could unleash mayhem if the situation was not well managed.
It was gathered that 43-year-old Mamok had just returned from the United Kingdom where his family resided.
He was said to have gone to Mosaku Street to cut his hair on Wednesday when three gunmen, dressed in black, entered the salon and shot him.
His relatives and some residents, who spoke with PUNCH Metro, said he was killed after a bullet hit him in the head.
A witness, who asked not to be named, said the incident happened around 8pm.
He said, “Mamok had just returned from the United Kingdom where his wife and children live. He was initially at the NURTW secretariat with MC Oluomo. Later, he called a family friend on Mosaku Street that he was coming to cut his hair in his salon.
“He went there with another friend, who did not enter the salon. He was cutting the hair when three guys, who wore black shirts, came into the salon and opened fire on him.
“He struggled with them for some time, but they overpowered him. They rained bullets on him. One of them shot him in the head and he slumped.”
A resident, John, said the victim was dragged out by his assailants, who dumped his corpse on his car, which was parked a few metres away.
He said the killers left with only Mamok’s gold chain, but did not steal the money on him.
“It was possible that the pistol was equipped with a silencing device because nobody heard any gunshot and knew there was a struggle between him and those people.
“After they shot him dead, they dragged him out and put his corpse on his car. They didn’t touch the money on him; they only took away the gold chain he had on. It was while they were leaving that they started shooting into the air and people started running helter-skelter,” he added.
A female friend of the victim, who did not identify herself, said the barber, Bayo, instead of raising the alarm, fled the scene.
“I don’t see any reason why he would run away when he did not have a hand in the murder. He mopped the blood in his salon, shut the door and ran away,” she said.
It was learnt that Mamok’s friend, who saw the assailants struggled with him, alerted Oluomo to the development.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Oluomo informed policemen from the Akinpelu division and they all arrived together at the scene of the incident.
“Oluomo and the police came into the street later after the killers had gone. The police broke the salon door and took the mop that Bayo used to clean the blood. They picked spent bullets from the salon,” he said.
Our correspondent was told that three police vans were parked on the street that night to forestall the breakdown of law and order.
A relative, who did not give her name, said the deceased’s corpse had been deposited in a morgue, while his blood-stained car was taken to the station.
“The police took the corpse to the morgue and took the car to the station. Some family members have started arriving from the family’s hometown in Ijebu,” she added.
Our correspondent observed an Armoured Personnel Carrier on the street on Thursday, while many shops were locked.
The house where the barbing salon was located, was also locked.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Mamok was killed by a gang loyal to a slain factional leader of the NURTW, Olayemi Eniola, aka Esi-Oluwo.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Mamok was killed because he was suspected to have fired the shot that killed Esi-Oluwo.
He alleged that one IK, who was an aide of the slain leader, led the squad that killed Mamok as a reprisal for his boss’ death.
He said, “MC Oluomo and Esi-Oluwo were rivals for the leadership of the NURTW in Oshodi. Both men also supported the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, respectively, prior to the general elections.
“But Tinubu (a former Lagos governor) mediated in the fight. Some days after, Esi-Oluwo was killed andMamok was fingered as the culprit.
“IK was born and raised in Mamok’s family house on Mosaku Street. He worked with Esi-Oluwo. After the man was killed, IK took over from him and became the strong man of the group.
“I saw him patrolling the street throughout yesterday and I was wondering what he was looking for. I never knew he was actually monitoring Mamok’s movements.”
The suspect was said to have fled the area after the incident.
PUNCH Metro was told that friends of the victim had started threatening reprisals and arsons, but the intervention of Oluomo had kept the situation under control.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Joe Offor, promised to get back to our correspondent but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
