Bayo Ajia |
When the
news of the gruesome murder of Alhaji Bayo Ajia broke, many were quick to judge
and condemn him as can be seen from the captions in various publications. The
picture painted of the character and person of late Bayo Ajia was that of a
murderous cult kingpin nemesis finally caught up with. But contrary to general
believe, Bayo Ajia was finally hacked down due to greed and the cumulative
effect of the negative impact the activities of politicians have on the lives
of the youth in our society. This will be better appreciated with a perusal of
the life and times of late Bayo Ajia.
Little
was known of late Bayo Ajia until he gained admission to Kwara State
Polytechnic, Ilorin in 1996 to study Public Administration.
Our
source revealed that late Ajia started as a normal student, but got transformed
immediately he joined the EiyeE Confraternity, a cult group that has been
fingered for numerous deaths on and off the campus of the polytechnic. We
gathered that he was immediately recruited to the elite ‘hit squad’ of the
group. Being of royal lineage and a full-blooded Ilorin indigene, he was of immense
significance to the confraternity as he paved the way for the recruitment of
boys from influential background in Ilorin like himself to the group. His
alleged dexterity as a ‘hitman’ gained him notoriety and groups, we were
informed, crossed him at their peril.
Our
source further revealed that by the time the late Bayo Ajia left Kwara
Polytechnic for University of Ilorin to study Public Administration through his
father’s clout, he had become a Kingpin in the Eiye Confraternity. While at
Unilorin, he was dreaded by all especially rival cult groups and it was common
occurrence to see fellow undergraduates consult him to seek protection and
security.
We
reliably gathered that the late Bayo Ajia had the university authorities then,
consulting him whenever any cult related crisis is about to erupt to calm the
situation.
He was
reportedly recruited in 1999 by the late Gov.Mohammed Lawal and was always part
of the governor’s entourage. For this, he was generously compensated with a
vehicle apart from his Hajj trip that was sponsored by the state government. In
the heat of the 2003 gubernatorial election in Kwara state, trouble broke out
at a society wedding held in Yebumot Hotel, Ilorin with dignitaries in
attendance prominent among who was the late Dr. Olusola Saraki (Oloye) that
resulted in the death of two persons.
Though late Bayo Ajia professed his innocence,
he was accused and arrested after it was alleged that the late Oloye swore that
the late Ajia must die. He remained untouchable until the late Mohammed Lawal
lost the election and Dr. Bukola Saraki emerged governor of Kwara State.
Immediately afterwards, the late Bayo Ajia was picked up and the case re-opened;
he was convicted and sentenced to death for murder by a Kwara State High Court,
but despite his appeal, the Supreme Court eventually affirmed his sentence.
Curiously,
the death sentence was not ratified by Gov. Saraki but in a twist , the late
Bayo Ajia was pardoned and released from Kaduna Prison and arrived Ilorin to a
rousing and tumultuous welcome. He settled down and expectedly started working
for the Saraki family as both Senator Gbemi Saraki and Gov. Bukola Saraki were
the main issues in Kwara politics as at that time, but he had to pitch his tent
with Dr. Bukola Saraki when animosity reared its ugly head between the two
siblings.
Gov. Bukola Saraki, we were reliably informed
turned the late Bayo Ajia’s life around and handed him over to Alh. Abdufattah
Ahmed, Dr. Saraki’s successor who he served diligently in the co-ordination of
the activities of political thugs. He was compensated with a trip to Dubai,
when an earlier promised holiday in the USA did not sail through. He was later
given a Tokunbo SUV and a plot of land beside the Kwara State Stadium, where he
built and operated his car wash enterprise and sadly the venue of his brutal
murder.
Over time,
the late Bayo Ajia appeared to have become adept at co-ordinating the
activities of thugs for politicians in concert with members of rival cult
groups, which apparently placed him in a precarious situation as his hobnobbing
with rival cult group members have linked him to certain murder incidents. Of
particular note is the hideous shooting and death of an old ‘Black Axes” lord
popularly called, Pa Jay at his hotel along Asa Road, Ilorin, which despite
repeated denials was attributed to the late Bayo Ajia as the two were last seen
together shortly before Pa Jay’s murder. There is also the murder of Bolaji Ajikobi,
a Unilorin undergraduate that occurred earlier the same day the late Bayo Ajia
was murdered; an incident he was allegedly responsible for.
But
unknown to many, we were reliably informed that the late Bayo Ajia was hacked
and shot to death because of a business deal gone sour in a job allegedly
executed by a mix of members from both Eiye and Aiye Confraternity co-ordinated
by the late Bayo Ajia for Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
It was
the refusal of the late Ajia to share the proceeds appropriately that
reportedly led to the conspiracy that extinguished his life.
Our
source revealed that the axe cuts on the late Ajia’s head were symbolic because
the other acronym for Aiye boys cult group is the ‘Black Axes.’
The late
Bayo Ajia was a different thing to different people depending on who is
involved; to his boys, he was a wonderful guy, but to his adversaries, a
monster.
The
lesson one can learn from the late Bayo Ajia’s life is that his life and death
is an indication of the reprehensible and abominable way political office holders, elected and appointed, continue to destroy the
future of the youth of this country in the sinful and criminal bid to satiate
their political ambitions, while their children are tucked away in foreign
lands, and shielded from danger.
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