Okada rider stabs cyclist, spills his intestine

There was pandemonium at Oke Fia area of Osogbo, Osun State, on Tuesday when a commercial motorcyclist stabbed a young cyclist, Remi Gbadamosi, following a head-on collision between the two of them.

As at the time of filing this report, doctors at Emmanuel Medical Centre were still battling to save the life of the cyclist whose intestine was spilled following the knife attack on him.

Our correspondent gathered from eyewitnesses at the scene of the accident that Gbadamosi was riding against the traffic when the collision happened.

But some claimed that it was the commercial motorcyclist who rode against the traffic.

Following the collision, the duo were said to have engaged in a brawl but one of the eyewitnesses, Fatima Jamiu, said the Okada rider reached out for a dagger from his jacket and stabbed Gbadamosi in the stomach.

The motorcyclist, on seeing the harm he had done, was said to have attempted to flee the scene but eyewitnesses grabbed him and with the help of some policemen nearby, he was taken to a police station.

Jamiu said, “The Okada man and the cyclist started fighting after a head-on collision. They had fought for about two minutes before the Okada man brought out a sharp knife from his jacket and stabbed the cyclist.

“Everybody ran when we saw his intestines coming out. Some courageous men grabbed the Okada man, while others called Osun Ambulance, which came to take him away to the hospital.”

One of the doctors at Emmanuel Medical Centre, Tunde Afolabi, said that the patient had been stabilised.

And though there was panic among the victim’s family members, who thronged the hospital, the doctor assured them that Gbadamosi was responding to treatment.

The Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mr. Femi Oyeleye, when contacted on the telephone said the suspect had been arrested and that he would be charged to court at the completion of the investigation.

The CP said the suspect was already in Police custody and that investigations would be done quickly in order to enable them arraign the suspect without delay.

Osun Osogbo Festival Holds Amidst Alleged Plan To Kidnap Votary Maid

The Osun Osogbo Annual Festival held on Friday amidst speculations that the Votary Maid, ‘Arugba’, could be kidnapped.

There have been rumours of an alleged plan to abduct the Arugba on or before the Osun Osogbo Annual festival, but on the day of the festival, the atmosphere that surrounded the Osun groove was peaceful and the devotees were up and about doing their normal worship.

There was, however, a show of moderate security presence as an armoured personnel carrier was parked by the road side with four police vans on standby through the ‎route which the Votary Maid is expected to pass to the groove.

‎As early as 10 o’clock in the morning, the, Arugba, who was accompanied by the Osun worshipers and thousands of faithful, culture and tourism enthusiasts had proceeded to the groove for the celebration.

At the event ground, the Governor of Osun State Rauf Aregbesola, who was represented by a former Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Home Affairs, Sikiru Adetona, called on the Federal Government and other stakeholders to latch on the benefits presented by the groove.

He emphasised that the government could incorporate tourism benefits of the groove and other festivals in its diversification plans.

He said: “Religion and culture should be properly propagated.

“Our culture has to do with our integrity, but we unfortunately do not celebrate our culture the way we should”.

Also, the Director General of National Commission for Museum and Monuments, Mr Yusuf Abdullah, lauded the organisers of the event for the facilities put in place to ease the entire process.

“The Federal Government appreciate the potential of culture to promoting tourism particularly the Osun Osogbo Festival which has been adopted as a world tourist centre by the UNESCO.

He said: “I can assure you that the government will continue to support it as well as support other festivals nationwide”.

Earlier, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, prayed for the peace and prosperity of the state and Nigeria in general.