A 36-year-old man, Kunle Akinlose, has reportedly died after he was allegedly stabbed with a broken bottle during an argument at a birthday celebration in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The incident was said to have occurred around 2am on Saturday at a bar located along Ayetoro Road in Ota.
Residents familiar with the incident told our correspondent on Sunday that the deceased and the suspect, identified as Damilola Fagbemi, were allegedly members of the same cult group.
A source within the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the violence started after the suspect reportedly got into an altercation with the owner of the bar during the birthday gathering.
According to the source, the suspect allegedly attempted to attack the bar owner alongside some of his associates before the deceased intervened to calm the situation.
“People around tried to explain that the bar owner had done nothing wrong, but the suspect became aggressive. When he attempted to assault the man, Kunle stepped in to stop them,” the source said.
The intervention was said to have degenerated into a physical confrontation between the two men.
The source added that while the deceased allegedly overpowered the suspect during the fight, the situation later escalated after both men armed themselves with dangerous objects.
“The suspect broke a bottle while Kunle reportedly brought out a knife. Some people intervened and collected the knife from him, but the suspect still held the broken bottle,” the source added.
According to eyewitnesses, the suspect allegedly returned moments later and stabbed Akinlose in the hand with the broken bottle after the fight appeared to have ended.
Another resident, who identified himself simply as Ela, said the victim later ran into another nearby bar seeking help as blood flowed from the injury.
He explained that efforts were made to stop the bleeding while they searched for transportation to a hospital.
“I was not at the birthday party. He only came into the bar where I was, and a woman there tied his hand with a cloth because he was bleeding seriously.
“They were looking for a motorcycle to take him to the hospital, but many riders refused because of the blood. When they finally got one, he slumped before reaching the hospital,” Ela said.
An anti-cultism advocacy group, NaijaConfra, also shared details of the incident on Facebook, alleging that the disagreement began after the suspect accused the bar owner of making advances towards his girlfriend.
The group claimed the suspect became enraged after seeing his girlfriend in a conversation with the bar owner during the celebration.
Confirming the incident on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, said the victim was confirmed dead at the hospital where he was taken for treatment.
She added that the suspect fled after the incident, while efforts were ongoing to track him down.
According to the police, detectives from the Ayetoro Budo Division had commenced investigation into the matter and the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further action.
