Idoo is a community in Osun State. One of its sons, Flt.-Lt. Opeyemi Adeshina, was one of those who died in the crash, which also killed the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru. Another Osun community, Ora Igbomina also lost another son, of ACM Oyedepo. TOBA ADEDEJI visited the communities and spoke with the people.

 

When an aeroplane drops from the sky, the sorrow it spreads travels far beyond where the debris is scattered. The people of the Idoo community in Egbedore Local Government Area and Ora Igbomina in Ifedayo Local Government Area of Osun State did not envisage that they would share in the grief the moment they heard the news that a military aircraft, Beechcraft 350 crashed in Kaduna.

The aged mother of Flt Lt Opeyemi Adeshina was said to have retired to his home after returning from her shop where she sells provisions and even when residents and relatives heard of the tragic end of the fine military officers on board the ill-fated plane, nobody could break the sad news to her.

She was lured away from Ede where she lives to Lagos where her other children are and until she got there nobody could tell her that her son had died in the crash.

 

The family members and residents of Idoo heard about the demise of their own on the radio after they retired home from farms on Friday night.

Our correspondent, who visited the rustic community, observed that the community was wearing a mournful mood despite that the bereaved mother was not around and the father of the gallant officer had died some years back after he retired from the military and as the pride of the family, his picture was hung at the first room of the Opeyemi’s family house in Idoo.

The family head, Pa Tunde Oladepo, said about eight members of the family are serving in the military.

The compound of Flt.-Lt Opeyemi, Balogun’s Compound, is one of the first compounds that you come across in Idoo. The compound head said: “I could not believe it that Opeyemi won’t be part of those that will bury me. He grew up in my two hands and, unfortunately, I am the one mourning him. The same mouth I used in singing cradle and soothing songs when he was born in Kaduna was the same mouth I am using to render threnodies for him.”

 

Pa Oladepo disclosed that when the family heard the news of the crash, they prayed for God’s protection for Flt Lt Opeyemi not knowing that he was one of the victims of circumstance.