A 38-year-old woman and hairdresser, Mrs. Toyin Ijiyemi, has been
reported killed by tax officials from Akure South Local Government Area
of Ondo State while trying to
exert payment from her.
The Guardian gathered that Ijiyemi slumped while she engaged in a
brawl with the government officials, who tried to seize her television
set for alleged failure to pay tax.
According to eyewitnesses, the officials had successfully dragged the
television from her and went away with it, leaving her on the ground
unattended to. One of the deceased’s aunts, Mojisola Otitilowo, narrated that “Toyin
was at her shop at Bolajoko Street, Oke-Aro area in the state capital
around 2:00p.m. when the council officials invaded her shop. They were
four in number.
“The council officials ask her to pay the rate for her shop. All
efforts made by Toyin to appeal to them not to seize her television set
failed. She did not have money and that was why she begged them that she
would come and pay the money the second day.
“Her persistent plea fell on deaf ears. One of them removed the
television from where it was but Toyin started dragging it with them.
She fell down. Despite her fall, the council officials went away with
the television.”
Otitolowo noted that a customer who came to buy sachet water,
“discovered that Toyin was unconscious where she laid on the floor of
the shop and raised an alarm, which attracted neighbours who rushed in
and started pouring water on Toyin to revive her.
“When it was realized that Toyin had given up the ghost, the matter
was reported at the B Division police station, Oke-Aro,” she said.
She noted that her body had been deposited at the morgue of the State
Specialists Hospital, Akure, adding that the local government tax
officials were later arrested by the police.
Mother of the deceased, Mrs. Abike Ijiyemi, who was crying profusely
when our correspondent visited her home at Alade-Idanre in Idanre Local
Government Area of the state, demanded justice.
Recounting her grief, she said: “She called me yesterday morning and
said she had bought some foodstuffs for me. She promised to bring them
to me in Idanre the second day. Instead of her coming to fulfill her
promise, it was the announcement of her death they brought to me.”
All efforts to speak with the caretaker chairman of Akure South
L.G.A., Mrs. Margret Atere, proved abortive but a source at the council
had been to the state police headquarters on the matter.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that those arrested concerning the case are
not original staff of the local government but those engaged by the
political heads of the council to collect taxes.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Femi Joseph,
who confirmed the incident, described it as unfortunate, revealing that
some suspects had been arrested over the murder.
Joseph added
further that investigation into the matter was still going on, saying
that the suspects in their custody would soon be arraigned in court.
“The political heads of the council are fond of bringing people
outside to collect taxes. I am sure if they had allowed the staff to do
their job, things such as this would not happen. This is because the
original staff are well-trained about how to relate with members of the
public,” a source added.
“My daughter was a widow. Her husband died for years ago. She has
been singlehandedly taking care of their only child since then. She was
the one who sponsored the education of their 24-year-old son up to the
Gateway Polytechnic in Ogun state before her death. She was the person
taking care of me and paying my debts for me.”
While the only child of the deceased, Ayodele Adelanke, also demanded
that the killers of his mother should be brought to book, saying she
must not die in vain.
0 Comments
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the comment writers alone and does not reflect or represent the views of whatsupblog9ja or any of its employees.