Ibadan Horror: Tears As Victim, Relatives Reunite

Tears of joy were shed on Tuesday at the Adeoyo State Hospital, Ibadan , where eight victims of the Ibadan horror forest were being treated.

The relatives of one of the victims, Wale Atoyebi, came to identify him.
Atoyebi, who could only say his name, was recognised by his uncle.
The senior Atoyebi said his nephew left home many years ago, adding that there had been no hint about his whereabouts.
He said, “He was living with his paternal grandmother in Ada, Osun State, but his father, who died eight years ago, lived in Ibadan.
“His mother was no longer with his father when he went missing. I also lived in Ibadan and sell planks at the Abayomi, Exide area of Ibadan. When I saw his name in the newspapers, I called Ada to know if he had come home, but I got a negative response. That brought me to the hospital and immediately I saw him, I knew he is our son.”
Mr. Atoyebi, who came to the hospital with his wife, said although he was happy to see Wale, his state of health was a cause for worry, praying for his mental and physical recovery.
“He is not the Wale we knew. He was a boy that was full of life when he left home,but we are sad that he cannot relate with us normally.
“He has not be responding to greetings and gestures. Wale is not mad; he was born normal with deformed fingers which I used to ascertain his identity.”
Families storm hospital
Other families also besieged the hospital in search of their loved ones. One of them was a sobbing mother, who said her daughter, Nnenka Peters, had been missing since 1998.
“Her father died in 1997, leaving me to take care of the children. She was nine years when she went missing. She had gone out to fetch water opposite our house, but she did not return. If I see my child, I will know her,” the mother said.
Some of the hospital workers, who spoke to our correspondent, said although some of the victims would eventually regain full recovery, there were some who needed psychological evaluation.
One of them said, “Those who gave their names and spoke about themselves are yet to remember many things, but their cases are better than others who are still in a state of shock. It is too early to ascertain the degree of their imbalance, but they need to be taken to a facility where they can be evaluated.

“The hospital management must decide on this fast so that we don’t just hold them here without the right treatment. Physically, they will be okay but we have to carry out various tests to know their mental state.”

Also, representatives of the Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, visited Splash FM presenter, Bayo Faleke, in the hospital. The delegation was led by Special Adviser to the governor on media, Festus Adedayo. Faleke was attacked by angry youths after the discovery of the horror forest in the Soka area of Ibadan.

Oyo buries bodies in mass grave

At Soka forest, officials of the Oyo State Government has started burying the bodied that were recovered since Saturday in a mass grave.

Scores of people watched as the team of environmental hygiene officers from the Ministry of Health evacuated the remains of the dead victims into the grave.

Fumigation exercise was also carried out at the site while mobile policemen kept watch.

More discoveries were also made as fresh human intestine and other parts were exhumed.

A receipt belonging to Sobic and Company was also discovered by our correspondent.

The company is located at Suite29, In God We Trust Plaza, Afro Bust Stop, Km 8, Old Ife Road, Sawmill Ibadan.

The receipt booklet was found inside one of the containers where victims were said to have been kept by their abductors.

The entries in the receipt were dated 2012. Some of the payments were credited to Adeola Adetomiwa, Chuks Osayi and Bose Adizua.

Information gathered from the state government revealed that on Wednesday, the site of the discovery would be cleared.