By Kehinde Olumide
From all definitions, the story is indisputably a pathetic one; the type that is capable of dissolving a stone heart in a twinkle of an eye. It evokes fear, pity and a sort of mystery that has remained difficult to unravel this family.
Taiwo Oshodi is the man at the centre of it all. He is supposed to live the life that he is destined for, but fate has kicked the storm against him and thwarted his lofty aspiration.
He hails from Elejare-Irele in Ondo State. His life has literally been in danger for committing no particular crime. At the moment, his people are scared that the worst could have happened to him as his whereabouts has become a hard nut to crack.
As reliably gathered by Daily Sun, the man, whose friends and relations described as meek and respectful had allegedly been bombarded with threats from some persons from his town. Neither him nor his relatives are yet to figure out exactly why would their tormentors find joy in unleashing emotional on the entire family members.
They are all lamenting that their travails was becoming unbearable.
The person whose photograph appears in this piece has been declared missing by his family. Every member of his household has been thrown into a panic mood. As reliably gathered, trouble started brewing in 2003, when there was a land dispute between his father, Mr. Ademo Oshodi and one Nnamdi in the Ondo town.
According to the Oshodis’ family lawyer, Barrister Odewole Balaogun, the said Nnamdi arrested Taiwo’s father and he was detained for three days at the police station.
He narrated further that a after he was released on bail, he reported to the King of the town. He claimed that it was when the King reviewed the case, he gave judgment in favour of Mr. Oshodi.
He said that on October 26, 2014, Mr Oshodi was erecting a cement block fence around the land without knowing that trouble was looming.
According to one of his relatives who appears distraught, on November 10, 2015, a letter of threat to life was pasted at the entrance of Mr. Oshodi’s house to vacate the land, otherwise, he and his children would be eliminated.
Family source authoritatively told this correspondent that all frantic efforts made by the Oshodis to locate their son have proved abortive.
It was said, without mincing words, those who were hellbent in dealing with boasted that there was neither a hiding place nor an escape route for him as long as he lived in Nigeria.
Indeed, before Taiwo disappeared from the public view, he might have had a bitter story to tell even when he was yet to come to terms with the death of his loved ones.
Those people trailing him were said to have intermittently invaded his privacy – a development that further infuriated and frightened him. He might have initially taken them for mere threats, but he was dead wrong.
Another frightened relative narrated: “On November 20, 2015, the wife of Mr. Oshodi, Mrs. Maria Oshodi and her children were attacked.
“Taiwo Oshodi with his wife and Taiwo’s junior brother followed her to a funeral party. When they left the party at about 4:00am, some people informed them that some persons suspected to be hoodlums had fired gunshots at their house. When they got home, they found their father Mr. Oshodi, his son Segun and his daughter Temitayo already killed.
“Then, Taiwo reported the matter to the Police at Elejare-Irele station. During investigation, the police arrested some suspects, but was released on bail after five days.”
As if that was not enough, as gathered, three days after the burial of Mr. Oshodi and his two children, Segun and Temitayo, Mr. Oshodi’s house at No 43, Holo Street, Irele was set ablaze. At this point, it became glaring that no one was safe any longer in the family.
His father’s death truly opened a gateway of palpable fear and sorrow to him. Tears became his companion as he couldn’t easily fathom any safe solution to come out of his dilemma.
It was learnt that at about 7:00pm on December 10, 2015, some persons suspected to be hoodlums, in a desperado style, swiftly attacked and dragged Taiwo Oshodi into a car and drove off.
Shocked beyond words, on December 11, 2015 when his mother Mrs. Oshodi waited but did not see her beloved son, she went to report at Elejare- Irele station. Days have turned into weeks and further snowballed to years as all efforts made to locate his whereabouts proved futile.
Sources close to Oshodis disclosed that that the moment Taiwo discovered that something was amiss and his life was no longer safe, he could no longer sleep with his two eyes closed. Eternal vigilance became his hobby and situational companion.
The day his father and siblings were wiped out from the surface of the earth would certainly remain indelible in Taiwo’s memory. The assailants came and struck leaving behind sorrow and tears.
Being frustrated and hapless could be understatement when the young man found out that there was seemingly no escape route from his ordeal.
As the family awaits their son’s safe return, they are urging anyone that know his whereabouts to contact the nearest police station- 08134496660 or call one of Oshodis’ family lawyers’ number on 07061079592