The family of a 46-year-old Ondo State businessman, Kayode Akinbolusere, popularly known as Tolufe, has called for a thorough investigation into his death, expressing suspicion that he may have been forced to record a video before his death.
Akinbolusere, who owned Esther Estate in Ondo State, reportedly died on Thursday after allegedly ingesting a poisonous substance at his office in Igba.
Before his death, a video of the businessman surfaced on social media, showing him discussing his personal struggles and announcing that he was leaving his properties to his wife, Esther, and their three children, who reside in Canada.
In the recording, he maintained that his decision was voluntary and that nobody had pressured him.
He said, “I am doing this video on behalf of my family. I, Akinbolusere Kayode, is doing my will on my property. I am doing this on my own; nobody put pressure on me. I woke up and left for work, leaving my family at home.”
“The first and second machines I was using at work developed a fault. I was imagining what was happening. When I started my business, I started from the scratch and was very transparent about it.”
“My wife knew how I suffered. She didn’t trouble me. I will all my properties to my wife, Akinbolusere Esther, who hails from Ekiti, and my three children who are in Canada.”
“My wife stood by me when I had nothing and never for once wronged me. She was very supportive when I had nothing, especially when I was working as a barber. I was the one who destroyed everything with carelessness.”
However, the deceased’s uncle, Femi Akinbolusere, questioned the circumstances surrounding the recording, alleging that his nephew might have been compelled to make the video.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Saturday, Femi said the deceased’s repeated reference to surrendering his properties raised concerns and urged security agencies to investigate the possibility of coercion.
He said, “We are grieving, please. You heard all he said laughing that he surrendered. Is that a gift to anybody? Is that a will? As if somebody was behind his seat pointing a gun at him. How can somebody say I am surrendering everything to my wife and three children?”
He also called on the police to scrutinise the video, insisting that its contents could provide important clues about the circumstances surrounding the death.
“If security operatives look at the voice very well, won’t they find that some people were behind making him say what he was saying? Is it not that they placed a gun behind him?”
“That clip is enough to give them [the police] the clue. That word ‘surrender’, doesn’t it mean that they forced him? They just killed him. Somebody was behind him telling him to say this and that and he was saying it. This is terrible.”
“All those things he was saying, did he say he shared his property? Who is telling you to surrender anything? Somebody forcing you to surrender. People should look at it. Security operatives should look at it.”
“They said he should be laughing and he was laughing. They should go and conduct an autopsy for the body. He said he offended his wife. Who is that wife? Even if he goes ahead to have another wife, does it warrant for him to be killed? That wife should be called to answer so many questions.”
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Police Command said its preliminary assessment had not revealed evidence of foul play, although investigations into the incident were ongoing.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, explaining that the businessman was found dead in his office at Igba.
According to the police, Akinbolusere, who lived at Road 7, Housing Estate, Igba, was discovered beside BOVAS Petrol Station in Igba Town at about 3pm on Thursday.
The statement added that officers from the Bolorunduro Police Division visited the scene after receiving information about the incident and recovered two empty bottles suspected to have contained Sniper insecticide from a nearby bush.
“Upon receipt of the information, police operatives attached to Bolorunduro Division visited the scene, where two empty bottles suspected to have contained Sniper insecticide were recovered from a nearby bush.”
The police further confirmed that the deceased had allegedly made a video before his death, in which he reportedly spoke about his personal challenges.
“Preliminary findings also revealed that the deceased had allegedly recorded a video before his death, which has since circulated on social media, in which he reportedly lamented about his life struggles.”
His remains were subsequently taken to the State Hospital Morgue for preservation and further examination.
“No foul play or visible marks of violence were observed on his body at the time of examination,” the statement said.
