PILLAGE AND MURDER AT TUNS FARMS – By Oyesiku Adelu

Like a swarm of bees on a mission to sting their enemies to death, they thronged the roads of Osogbo, the capital city of Osun State on motorcycles, tricycles(Keke Napep), small buses called “korope” and in their several thousands running , jogging and walking. It was as if Armageddon had come and the devil had unleashed its fury on earth ordering his wild and ferocious soldiers of fortune and death to go forth and destroy.

Saturday, the 24th of October, 2020 was for the peaceful people of Osun state a red letter day. Thousands of hoodlums, street urchins, never-do wells, dregs of the society and opportunistic elements who in their lucid moment would be well-behaved had seized the window provided by the #endsarsprotest to wreak havoc and unleash mayhem, maim, rob and loot both the government agencies and private establishments including Corporations, Warehouses, Banks, ATMs under the guise of looking for food and palliatives “kept” by the government. In the wake of the Coronavirus disease which had devastated national, state, corporate and individual economies, the Federal and State Governments had in conjunction with the private sector pulled resources together to purchase food and edible products as palliatives to distribute to the vulnerable in the various communities. It was these food and palliatives the mob claimed they were looking for that drove them to private offices, individual homes and personal business establishments.

It was for this reason that these barbarians and savages thronged to TUNS FARMS along Ikirun road pillaging, robbing, assaulting and killing.

The mob, consisted of virtually all age groups and both genders ,old, young, pregnant women, mothers with babies strapped to the backs and others dragging their minors along, Muslims, Christians or at least people who answer to the names in the Quran, the Bible and traditional religion.

It was inconceivable that anyone in Osun State let alone Osogbo would attack TUNS FARMS owned by the great philanthropist and kind-hearted Asiwaju musulumi of Yoruba land, Alhaji Khamis Olatunde Badmos. The chairman of TUNS INTERNATIONAL may not be the richest in Osun state, but only a few can support good causes with their hard-earned money the way he does. Is it his moral and financial supports to his community, State or people he does not even know or his support to Islam that one would not consider before attacking his business interests?

Asiwaju Tunde Badmos like his associates and mentors including the undeclared president of Nigeria, the late M.K.O Abiola, the late Are Musulumi, Alhaji Asirekola Alao as well as Alhaji Muri Gbedeyinka is a foremost philanthropist in whose pot of kindness many people have served their broth of happiness, progress and success in life . Several Nigerians have benefited from his scholarship scheme to go to school from secondary to tertiary institutions. It was for reasons of his large-heartedness to support education and commitment to the desire to assist in developing his state that NASFAT, a Muslim organisation established its maiden university ,Fountain University in Osogbo .Years later, the institution honored him with Doctorate Degree in Business Administration (Honoris Causa).

The business mogul is not a politician yet politicians of various political parties and irrespective of religious faith have benefited from his generosity in either getting elected or appointed to political positions. Countless number of Muslims and Islamic clerics have performed Hajj and Umrah on his bill. Ramadan period is a happy month for the needy in Osogbo and environs as Asiwaju Badmos is never tired of hosting hundreds of them in his G.R.A residence where he fetes them and assists them financially. TUNS FARMS which came under attack has created over 700 direct jobs and thousands of indirect employment. What devil then could make man attack his source of support?

The most damning, inhumane and bestial of the attackers’ act was the murder of a staff of TUNS FARMS , the young and vibrant Abdul- Rasheed Olawale. He was cut down fatally by a hail of bullets in his stomach: Abdul-Rasheed, a dutiful, focused and bright gentleman earning his livelihood like hundreds of others at TUNS FARMS was killed by an army of brutes without conscience not mainly because he confronted them but rather because they realized he could recognize some of them .A protégée of Asiwaju Khamis Tunde Badmos, Ezra Abdul-ganiyu and others were lucky. They sustained life-threatening injuries from machete cuts but survived the attack. Still smarting from the attack, Ezra, a lawyer reminisced “These people were mad … They stole everything and anything . Finished products and raw materials, flour, biscuits, computers, Chairs, tables, bottle water, eggs and even empty crates of eggs..empty crates”… The multitude Ezra confirmed trooped in, not mainly from Osogbo but from all contiguous towns and settlements.

As the dust settles ,the managements of TUNS FARMS counted the establishment’s losses and gave a conservative estimate of over one hundred and fifty million Naira. But this is not a major concern to Alhaji Khamis Tunde Badmos who is mourning his late Staff and Personal Assistant to the MD of the company, Alhaji Taofeek Badmos . Asiwaju keeps wondering and muttering the soliloquy “kini omo olomo se ti won fi pa?”- what did Olawale do that he deserved to be killed?

Asiwaju Khamis Olatunde Badmos mourns, the family of the deceased mourns, the people of osogbo mourn. The blood of Abdul Rasheed cries for Justice. This is no ordinary pillage but also a criminal case of conspiracy, murder, attempted murder , armed robbery, stealing and disturbance of public peace. Will justice be served?