By: Adeoye Michael Adebisi(IT Student, Osun State University)
The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the tragic death of Demola Akinloye, the first son of the Ojomu of Ajiran land, Tijani Akinloye.
The incident occurred on Monday along Chevron Drive in the Lekki area of Lagos State, sparking widespread fear and leading to a significant decline in activity within the community.
An estate management notice within the community warned residents to avoid the Chevron, Agungi, and Ajiran areas, stating, This is to notify all residents that the Ajiran (Agungi) king’s son was assassinated this morning along Chevron Drive, near Ebeano Supermarket. We urge residents to avoid the Chevron area, Agungi, and Ajiran for their safety.
One resident, Bukunmi Folahanmi, expressed her decision to avoid work on Tuesday due to the unsettling event. It was a daylight assassination. I won’t go to work until Wednesday, even though vigilante officers have been deployed in the area, she said.
Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident, stating it happened around 12:30 p.m. A distress call reported that a man, identified as 50-year-old Demola Akinloye, was attacked along Chevron Drive, Lekki.
Hundeyin detailed that Demola was driving his black Toyota Corolla near the Bourdillon Court Estate gate when four armed men in a white minibus shot and stabbed him to death.
The scene was inspected, an expended cartridge was recovered, and the body was taken to a morgue in Ajah, Lagos State, for preservation and autopsy. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Yaba for further investigation.
A resident, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, explained that the gunmen deliberately collided with Demola’s vehicle, attacking him when he exited to assess the damage.
When the bus hit his vehicle, he came out to check, and that’s when the gunmen attacked him, causing bystanders to flee. The attackers left him bleeding at the scene, the resident recounted.
Another local source speculated that the attack might have been linked to succession ambitions, though this claim remains unverified. He was the heir to the throne, and there’s talk in the community that the attack was orchestrated by those eyeing the throne, even though his father is still alive, the source mentioned.
A family member, who also wished to remain anonymous, shared that the family has been devastated by the news. We are in shock. His father adored him.
He bore a striking resemblance to the king—if you saw him, you saw the king. The palace is somber; the king and family members have stopped attending to visitors, the family member said.
