UK-based Nigerian dies on Okada ride on his first home visit after four years.

Unlucky Tunde Ekundayo

A brief holiday to Nigeria by a United Kingdom based young man has ended in tragedy as the gentleman, Tunde Ekundayo has been killed while riding the notorious commercial motor-bike, Okada.

Tunde Ekundayo who ventured to the United Kingdom in search of greener pastures a couple of years ago after acquiring a Master degree met his untimely death when a motorcycle in which he was returning back home after visiting close friends had a head-on collision with an on-coming vehicle.

Tunde, a political Science graduate and Masters Degree holder on Public Administration from University of Ibadan and had visited Nigeria to see his family, and relations after what he used to describe as a long spell.

He died five days after the accident though remaining unconscious in the hospital- just a day before his scheduled return journey back to his base in the Unite kingdom.

Tunde, who died in a motor accident on board a commercial motor cycle(Okada) travelling from Ipaja, Lagos suburbs to Ikotun. The accident occurred at Idimu area of Lagos.

Tunde had visited his old bosom friends and was returning back to his family base in Ikotun Egbe in the Lagos metropolis when the motor-bike he was returning on had a head-on collision with an on-coming vehicle.

He had sought to catch a taxi or bus home but was unsuccessful as the area where he had visited his friends had all commercial vehicles retired from roads early due to security reasons.

Tunde’s aged mother had since remained inconsolable while his senior brother, Bisi Ekundayo, Asaba branch Sales Co-Ordinator of Sun Publishing Limited has been shattered.

He came to the United Kingdom in 2005 shortly after the completion of his Masters Degree and was travelling home for the first time to meet his aged mother and family members.

Tunde, a native of Ikere -Ekiti was the third born out of the five children of his parents.

He attended Ajolagun Secondary School, Ikere-Ekiti, University of Ibadan for his first degree in Political Science and later, Master of Science, Public Administration from the same University.

Sobering, his senior brother, the Sun newspaper senior employee, Bisi narrated how he took up his brother’s responsibility at a very early age, seeing him through the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), up to his first degree and eventual Master’s degree at the University of Ibadan, Oyo state.

He said: “, Tunde came back to Nigeria on 29th December, 2009 to see his missed family. He was to go back to the UK on 1st March 2010. Little did he know that he would never go back to the UK again.

Reliving the incident that led to his brother’s death, Bisi who feels the accident that took his brother’s life happened due to the recklessness of the commercial motorcycle rider, continued: “On Saturday, 13th February, 2010, he went to Ipaja to see some of his friends. On his way back, he picked Okada from Iyana-Ipaja to Ikotun when he could not get a taxi on time.

“After Idimu, at Alake Bus stop, the bike had a head-on collision with an on-coming vehicle”. He was unconscious till Thursday,18th February when he finally died.

Bisi continued:“While on admission at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital(LUTH), Idi-Araba, Tunde “was on life support machine and oxygen throughout before he died.” Having spent much and filled so much grief, Bisi added: “No one is ready to talk about money spent to save his life but God knows the best”.

Okada, worst death trap in nigeria.

Tunde, a native of Ikere -Ekiti was the third born out of the five children of his parents. He attended Ajolagun Secondary School, Ikere-Ekiti, University of Ibadan for his first degree in Political Science and later, Master of Science, Public Administration from the same University before he travelled to the United Kingdom in late 2005.

Bisi further recounted that this was the first time his late brother, Tunde, was visiting Nigeria (home) since he travelled outside the shores of the Nigerian nation.

Bisi while grieving over his late brother recounts that his 75-year-old mother was difficult to be consoled. “It took the intervention of God through some town elders before the news could be broken to their 75 year old mother.”

On hearing the sad news of her best life hope, she attempted suicide as she wanted to jump into a nearby well.

He is survived by a wife, two children, Mike and Joy , an aged mother, brothers and sisters.

ner pastures a couple of years ago after acquiring a Master degree met his untimely death when a motorcycle in which he was returning back home after visiting close friends had a head-on collision with an on-coming vehicle.