AJEGUNLE: Guests Stab Schoolboy To Death At Birthday Party

A birthday party on Kehinde Street in the Ajegunle area of
Lagos State turned bloody when some guests began a fight
and stabbed a schoolboy, Endurance Augustine, to death.
Policemen from the Ajeromi division were said to have
removed Endurance’s corpse and deposited it in a morgue.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Endurance had gone to the party
with some of his friends, when a fight broke out.
A resident told our correspondent that the cause of the
fight was unknown, adding that the hoodlums, who were
guests at the party, fled after stabbing the victim to death.
It was gathered that two suspects, who were trying to hide
the victim’s corpse, were apprehended by residents and
handed over to the police.
When our correspondent visited the area, Endurance’s
mother, who did not want her name in print, said she had
gone to a church service at 4pm on Wednesday only to
hear the news of her son’s death on her return.
The mother of four added that if Endurance had told her
that he was attending a party, she would have dissuaded
him from going as the area had been tense.
She said, “I don’t think Endurance had a quarrel with
anyone before he was stabbed to death. He did not inform
me that he was going to a birthday party. He was an easy-
going boy. He went to school every day and ought to be in
the senior school by September. I am pained that my son
was murdered. I don’t even know who organised the party.”
A resident, who identified herself only as Mary, said she
was in her shop when she noticed a crowd of youths
trooping into the street.
“Their dressing did not show good manners. In fact, some
of them came to the front of my shop and smoked hemp. I
warned them to stop and asked them to leave my
premises, but they ignored me.
“It was on the following day that I was told they fought and
a boy was killed,” she added.
A witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “I
learnt that the birthday host was a lady. She used to stay
with her parents on Kehinde Street. She decided to come
on Wednesday to celebrate the birthday.
“I was in my house eating when I heard people shouting
that they were fighting on the next street and a boy had
been killed. Everyone quickly shut their doors until
policemen came. They took the boy’s corpse away. A
tricycle was also set ablaze by the thugs.
“What began as a birthday party resulted in a street fight.
Gang fights are becoming rampant now in Ajegunle. The
police should strengthen security in the area.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo
Badmos, confirmed the incident.
She said, “Rival cults engaged each other on the streets
and the police mobilised to the scene. A corpse was found
and deposited at the Ajeromi General Hospital for an
autopsy. Two suspects were arrested at the spot and
efforts are on to arrest other fleeing suspects.”