At four years old, Waris Lateef was full of innocence; innocence that made him put so much trust in his half-brother, nay, brother, Rilwan Ahmed (19). Like a sheep being led to a slaughter slab, four-year-old Waris followed Rilwan to an uncompleted building close to their residence at Oloko village in Ibadan, Oyo State.
When his brother tied a piece of cloth across his face, blocking easy passage of air into his nostrils, he did not put up a protest. His brother went ahead to tie his legs, but to the little boy, he was acting in a film that was not being recorded. Abandoned there, life slowly ebbed out of him as he feebly struggled to breathe. His body was discovered three days later.
On Saturday, July 19, 2014, Waris’s father, Mr Lateef Lawal, who is stepfather to Rilwan reported at Ojoo Police Division of Oyo State Police Command that his four-year-old son was missing.
The entire Oloko village also joined Lawal’s family in a search for the missing boy, Rilwan inclusive, until he made a statement that raised people’s suspicion. He advised that nearby bush should be cut, giving a high probability that the missing boy would be found.
With this serving as a lead, detectives at Ojoo Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Musiliu Doga, interrogated the boy, leading to his startling confession that he was responsible for the death of the missing boy.
Not a few people wondered why the Rilwan who had been staying with his stepfather since he was young, could do that to his own blood, but Rilwan said he could not say precisely the kind of spirit that controlled his action.
The suspect told Crime Reports that he left school after Primary Six and had been working as a labourer with
bricklayers. He also disclosed that he refused to learn any vocation and always ran away from vocational centres he was taken to. Things were not different when he was taken to Qur’anic school.Speaking with Crime Reports, the 19-year-old boy said:
“I live with my mother and stepfather. She gave birth to two of us before my father died and she remarried. She also gave birth to six other children for my stepfather.
“I don’t know what pushed me into what I did to my stepbrother. It was as if I was being propelled by unknown forces. On the fateful day, I asked him to follow me to the undeveloped plots by our residence. When we got to one of the uncompleted buildings there, I placed a piece of cloth on his face covering his eyes, mouth and nose. I also tied his legs. He did not shout so I left him there.
“When I got back home, my mother asked of Waris and I told her to check him outside. When she could not find him, I joined in the search for the young boy. When my stepfather went to the police to report, I remembered that I took someone to a place. I went back to the uncompleted building to bring my half-brother home, but met him dead.
“I quickly threw him into a nearby bush and went back home, afraid of how to break the news to my mother. At a point, I told the people around that if they wanted us to find the missing boy, they should let us cut the bush at the back of our residence. This aroused my stepfather’s suspicion and he went to report my statement to the police. It was when the police were interrogating me that I confessed to my deeds.
“I took detectives to the bush where I dumped my half-brother’s remains.”
Based on information gathered by Crime Reports that the suspect was angry with his mother for not returning N700 he kept with her, he was asked whether the anger propelled his action but he replied in the negative.
“No. I did not keep the money with her, I kept it in my bag and she went to take it. I told her it was my money made from my labouring job but she said the money was not mine, and that she was not going to give it back to me. I was angry with her and said to myself that I would not release her son to her if my money was not returned to me.
“But that was not actually what I had in mind when I took my brother away. My mother did not offend me, neither my half-brother. My stepfather and mother were taking good care of me. I can’t really place what made me commit the act"
Nigerian Tribune
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