Wahab Hammed, a tailor and occasional commercial biker, and his companion Ayobami Adegoke were recently paraded by the Osun State Police Command for allegedly killing another suspected Internet fraudster, Wasiu Oguntade, in Modakeke, Osun State. Hammed discusses what happened in this interview with BOLA BAMIGBOLA.
What do you do for a living and where are you from?
In Osun State’s Modakeke, I live. I do tailoring. But when I don’t have any work to do in my shop, I normally ride motorcycles for a living. I was raised in Modakeke. I went to secondary school, but I left in the second semester.
Why did you quit going to school?
The tale is lengthy. For whatever reasons that I don’t wish to discuss, I have just stopped.
Do you have a spouse?
My ex-wife left me after learning that one of my hands would need to be amputated as a result of an accident I experienced. She started acting inappropriately after hearing that. Because of the marriage, I had a child.
What caused your arrest?
Because we killed my friend Wasiu Oguntade, we were detained. Along with another buddy of mine, Ayobami (Adegoke), I was detained.
What caused Wasiu’s death? Who was he?
Sodiq, another friend of mine, and Wasiu were friends. Sodiq was how I first met him. Wasiu was a Yahoo boy and had been using the service prior to our acquaintanceship, which occurred approximately a year and three months ago. He was also my pal.
How did you kill him, and why?
Wasiu was assassinated by Ayobami and me because he constantly oppressed me with the money from his Yahoo Yahoo activities, which is what actually happened. His earnings from Yahoo Yahoo were impressive. I also enjoyed it, but my luck was less favorable. He would come to me and boast about his wealth whenever he did well financially. Because of the money dad had made, he occasionally even sent me on errands. One day, I had a wicked idea, so I made the choice to extort money from him. I didn’t intend to murder him.
How did you act?
On August 8 of this year, a Sunday, the incident took place. Under the pretense that we wanted to sell him a piece of land in Modakeke, we led him to a place that was far from our neighborhood. He had told me that he wanted to buy land, and I had someone who could help him find a decent place.
In the town, where I was employed as a commercial motorcycle rider, I met Ayo. We grew close since we both rode motorcycles for business. I used to open up to Ayo about everything that was happening with Wasiu, including how he was mistreating me by using the earnings from the Yahoo Yahoo and other things. Ayo came up with a plan on how we may approach him for money.
That Sunday, when Wasiu called to say he was ready to visit the acreage we had discovered, I told Ayo right away, and he advised me to bring him. I went somewhere in Modakeke that was a little outside of the residential area with Wasiu and Ayo. On Wasiu’s motorcycle, we traveled. Wasiu drove the motorcycle as Ayo directed him in the right path. Ayo showed Wasiu the countryside when we arrived at our destination, and he looked around. He promised to consider it before determining what to do. He added that he would make payments over time. When Ayo grabbed Wasiu by the back and struck him with a machete, injuring his head, we were preparing to leave the area.
Why would you take off his head?
He was slain by Ayo, but I was there to witness it.
How did the arrest happen?
Wasiu’s friend contacted his line, and Ayo answered it and lied that Wasiu had been in an accident in Ipetumodu, so I went to the police station in Ipetumodu to report myself.
My conscience was troubled as we both went to the police station because I had just committed such a terrible act for the first time. People had already started to distrust me. Wasiu’s wife disclosed my name and the fact that her husband had informed her he would be visiting me. But I believed that I was safe since Ayo had said falsely that Wasiu had been in an accident in Ipetumodu.
What transpired, then?
We were accompanied by Wasiu’s wife and his buddy when we arrived in Ipetumodu. When he noticed us strolling around, an Amotekun agent stopped us. Ayo responded that we were looking for someone who had been in an accident when the man inquired about our search. However, the man said that I was the first suspect because the missing person had indicated his intention to visit me.
After asking a few questions, the Amotekun man suggested that we go to the police station to file a case. He then immediately named me the first suspect because I was the person who Wasiu had informed his wife he wanted to visit before going missing.
What took place at the police department?
I was able to no longer conceal what we did once I arrived there. I admitted to the police that I had slain Wasiu. Truth be told, we didn’t intend to murder him. He wasn’t able to bring money to the spot as we had thought, so we just intended to collect money from him. Ayo thought he was also suspicious of us this time. I never ordered Ayo to kill the man, and from what he told me, Wasiu had already begun to mistrust us.
Why did you let Ayo to murder him
Since we didn’t intend to kill him, it happened too suddenly and I wasn’t prepared for it. I was forced to confess because I felt guilty and more so because Wasiu’s wife and his friend had previously suggested that I might have put him in danger because I was the one he had said he wanted to see. There was no way for me to escape that accusation
What transpired after you admitted it?
When I was arrested, I realized I was in trouble. So, after I admitted my mistake, I felt better about myself.