Pharmacist Paul Olafare’s death: We suspect foul play - sister

On Monday, we heard about the alleged suicide of Paul Olafare, described as a brilliant pharmacist who won the 2013 Lagos Pharmacist of the Year award (read here). He allegedly committed suicide because he was in a huge financial debt but his younger sister is now claiming the family suspects foul play in his death and are pointing fingers at Paul's wife, Busayo.

The younger sister, Temitope Dorcas Olafare, told Hamiltonstyle, that their family do not believe the suicide account of Busayo, who was the last person to see him alive. Busayo has since been arrested by detectives at Panti. An autopsy has been ordered to determine if Paul really killed himself or if something else happened to him. What the sister said after the cut...

Here is the official story of the Olafare family as told by Temitope Dorcas Olafare..

We were informed of Paul’s death in the afternoon of Sunday, 12th April 2015. On getting to his residence, we were told that his corpse had been deposited at the morgue. That caught us all by surprise and we questioned how he died and how quickly his body was taken to the morgue before his siblings arrived.

A neighbour told us it was around 11.00 am. Setting out for Yaba Military Hospital where his corpse was taken to, we saw his lifeless body in a car outside the hospital. Questions were asked about what happened and we were told he gulped down unadulterated insecticide. 

Knowing the kind of brother I had, questions kept popping up – how did that happen? Where was his wife when it happened? Why must he be brought to the morgue before we were told? We were told that his body was brought from the hospital.

One of his church members screamed and said “Bro. Paul called me this morning he was about leaving his house for church and he must not get to church before me.” 

Those who took the corpse to the morgue continued, “But we need you to sign these documents so his corpse would be attended to.” So I signed.

We went back to our dad to console him. He echoed my sentiments; he said something was amiss and that the Paul he knew would never commit suicide by drinking unadulterated insecticide? A huge lie it is! Well, no one bought the story.

We decided to go back to Paul’s house to ask his neighbours what actually happened. On getting there however, we met Busayo, Paul’s wife, in the company of some other people. She had started packing her things and may have left if not for the refusal of neighbours and people around. Imagine.

It was at that point that I saw sense in the insistence of my dad’s friend that we went to Paul and Busayo’s home. When the people with Busayo saw us approaching, they wanted to zoom off, but we were alerted by some onlookers and we had to block the road with one of our cars to prevent their escape. 

I personally took the pain of meeting with Paul’s Shepherd, who said the news came in to him as a complete shock. Explaining, how Paul had been in church with him on Saturday the 11th of April 2015 and (there was nothing wrong with Paul) he was his normal self.

One of Paul’s neighbours also said Paul had tried warming his car engine earlier that morning. Another church member said Paul called him asking him to call one Tosin because he needed to service his car.

Why would he then commit suicide all of a sudden? A virtuous  woman who has just lost her husband would have been sober and sad, but Busayo wasn’t. A suicide she claims, but she was on the run? Where was she running to? Why was she packing her things? Was she expecting his death? Isn’t his death suspicious?

Many questions left unanswered. Busayo has to be quizzed. We should have her talk to law enforcement agents.

ABOUT PAUL AND HIS MARRIAGE TO BUSAYO

Oluwaseun Paul Olafare (aka Paulo) graduated from the University of Lagos as a Pharmacist in 2008. He got married on the 19th of February 2011 to a woman we all believed loved him just as he equally loved her. This happened a year after their introduction as fixed by the wife’s family.

Before their introduction, Busayo Taiwo, was loved by all members of Paul’s family. I personally spent most of my weekends at her family’s house in Shomolu, Paul’s immediate elder and younger brother and my late mom loved her as a biological child.

Some months into her introduction, she started acting strangely. My late mom noticed and invited her over. We had a meeting where she asked each one of us what had gone wrong. We left that day, feeling it was over with mother instructing we her kids to behave well to her irrespective of her behaviour.

My late mom was seriously ill just some months to their wedding and was hospitalized (24th December 2010). And all through her stay in the hospital, our beloved wife (Busayo) never showed up neither did our in-laws. My brother said then she was writing an ICAN exam and could not visit mother.

Mom requested her discharge from LUTH in January 2011 so she could be at their wedding. She went to that wedding though limping but she was so happy, same with my dad. (Whereas HAMILTONSTYLE wrote “Unfortunately, the parents of the deceased, who have been at loggerheads with Mrs. Busayo Olafare and didn’t approve of their son’s marriage to her… Husband and wife had lived together amicably”)

Lived together amicably? No! They never did. Paul’s immediate younger brother who drove them home from their wedding reception on their wedding day said Paul and his wife quarrelled all the way home, and he was afraid the marriage won’t last if they continued that way.

There was a time Paul was considering divorce. He complained that his wife was not giving him peace. He however held back because of his post as a Youth Pastor, wanting to set a good example. I remember vividly that my elder brother, told him then “You are the pastor, God will see you through.”

The issue my brother had was his gentle nature. He wanted no one, not even his siblings and surviving parent, to know how imperfect his family was? And if at all he needed to complain, his gentility always kicked in.

Two months into their marriage, Busayo’s mother came and took her away while pregnant purportedly for spiritual prayer at her church CCC Morocco parish, and remained there till her time of  delivery.

We had no idea of this incidence until the death of their first child. Paul told us how they didn’t let him have his wife. It was then we knew that Busayo gave birth in her parent’s church, CCC Morocco parish.  It was such a slap on our face. A serious issue arose. Still in the course of that month, we were made to realise there was this UK based man that Busayo’s mom wanted her daughter to marry and that she was stylishly buying into the idea. Why didn’t Paul tell us this?

My late mom called to confirm the story from Paul and he confirmed it was true but strongly warned us to stay out of it, assuring us that things would eventually fall into place and that he was on top of his game. Then it dawned on us that Paul had been taken away from us as a brother otherwise he would not have acted that way normally.

Their third child (a girl I supposed) came. Paul told us his child’s christening ceremony was going to be held at his mother-in-law’s church. And none of us went. I guess my dad did though.

Being a gentle person, Paul still told us not to interfere, yet he did nothing. How would you drop such a story and except no reaction whatsoever from your family? It sounded not just possible but being who he was, Paul did not want any trouble with anyone. Though my siblings went to his house for the naming, they bluntly refused to follow him to his mother-in-law’s church.

His neighbours? They explained how hot Paul and Busayo’s home had been. How the children did not live with them and all that. Some of his colleagues at work knew how matrimonial issues had taken their toll on him.

Busayo should explain how her husband got into huge debt. She has claimed that Paul took his life because of indebtedness. If that was the cause of his death, why did his wife attempt to run away? Her attempt to pack some stuff and escape makes this issue a lot complicated. Debt and Suicide? What a story. Till Paul died he was hopeful Busayo would change… He had no pharmaceutical store. So how come his heavy debt?

We were informed at Paul’s place of work how he recently participated in an exam being conducted by the state. And the attractive prize that follows. He’s been sending in suicidal messages lately because of debt, right? But who did his wife inform? She said he once attempted suicide at the Lagoon… When? How? Where? Who were those who rescued him? I guess Busayo must have single-handedly rescued him from the lagoon. Paul still has a father and siblings too, remember? Probably she forgot.

Do she even love Paul at all in the first instance? I am just wondering how our brother allegedly committed suicide… Paul was a strong man and he remained hopeful till death took him away.