How SARS Ended My Son’s Dream 2 Weeks To His Dubai Trip – Dad Of Graduate Shot To Death Recounts

Sabitu Nofiu, a father of late Babatunde Nofiu, has shared his grief over his son’s death

Babatunde was reportedly shot to death by a police officer attached to the SARS, the father of the deceased said his son was to travel to Dubai barely two weeks before his death

A hotelier, Alhaji Sabitu Nofiu a father of 30-year-old Babatunde Nofiu allegedly killed by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Iwo, Osun state disclosed how the incident has caused anguish to his family.

The Punch reports that Alhaji Nofiu said his son was a very good boy, respectful, industrious and easy going adding that He was planning to travel out of the country.

The hotelier further disclosed that the late Babatunde was scheduled to travel to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) on Monday, September 10 saying he was killed barely two weeks to that time.

According to him, ”I am the father of Babatunde Nofiu killed by SARS officials in Iwo, Osun state.

He was a very good boy who was respectful, industrious and easy going. I am not saying this because of the popular belief that one should not speak ill of the dead. Anybody can find out from the people in our community. You can’t hear any negative thing about him.

”He graduated from the Osun state Polytechnic, Iree. He read Computer Science. Like I said, he was yet to find a job when his life was cut short by wicked SARS operatives.

He was planning to travel out. He was scheduled to travel to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) on September 10 and he was killed barely two weeks to that time.

He had obtained the visa and all the necessary documents he needed were intact but the journey was aborted. They just killed my glory and put an end to his dream. It is painful but what can I do? ”I did not hear anything.

I didn’t know that the news had spread but I was shut out. Nobody told me anything. People were avoiding me but I didn’t know.

It was some minutes after 10pm that the elder sister of the deceased received a call and I saw that she was troubled. I asked her what was wrong. ”I told her that we would not close late on that Thursday because we closed around 1.30am the previous night being Sallah. I am an hotelier and that is the nature of the business.

He said closing time was not the issue but she was told that Tunde had been shot and that his mobile was used to call her. She said they asked her to come together with me to the area command but I declined.

”I wanted to know why he was shot before I would go there. I know that he was neither a thief nor a thug. I was shaking visibly. Maybe I would have died that night if I was hypertensive because of the shock.

”We eventually got a mini bus to Iwo. Suddenly, those in the bus with me said we should turn back that we should no longer continue with the journey to Osogbo.

Then I knew they had heard something which they didn’t want to tell me. I called his elder sister who earlier received the call when we got back inside and asked her if she didn’t think Tunde had died.

She said she also had the same thought. I knew the worst had happened but the people did not want to break the news to me.

”I decided to go and sleep at a brother’s place because I knew that they would not want to mourn if I had not told them that he had been killed.

I returned home around 6.30am the following day and that was how they started wailing. People started trooping in to condole with us.”