Morakinyo Akerele

2002

Morakinyo, 19, was in a car one fine evening on 22nd June 2002. He was driving his friend, Nnamdi, home after a pleasant day of laughter and banter, when they were accosted by members of the Nigerian Police Force. 

The police shot at one of the tires, causing the car to screech and halt suddenly. Even though Morakinyo and Nnamdi did not display any form of resistance, the police walked over to them in the car, stood by the window and cocked their guns into the car, and began to fire. Nnamdi was shot on the back of his head. He died instantly. 

Morakinyo was shot at the back but did not die immediately. He was taken to General Hospital, Lagos Island, but the hospital demanded a police report before they could attend to him. Morakinyo bled to death. 

They were both school students, gunned down for no reason. The killer-policeman was said to have gone back to the police station afterwards and surrendered his gun, then fled. The police could not produce him. 

Morakinyo was the third born child of his family. Even though quite young, he commanded a lot of respect from school and in the neighborhood. Friendly and full of cheer, he was admired by all. He was in his second year in University of Lagos, studying Chemical Engineering at the time he was killed. His younger brother recalls that he had made great grades during his first year. Popular and charismatic, his friends called him Moraks. He was a favourite. 

“It was a nightmare for us. It still is a nightmare, because we all know how great he was then, and we can only imagine how great he would have been if he had his life to live,” His brother, Keji Akerele, recounts.