The Ondo State Police Command has commenced an investigation into the suspected suicide of a 46-year-old businessman, Kayode Akinbolusere, popularly known as Tolufe, after a video he allegedly recorded before his death went viral.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh disclosed this in a Friday statement.
The command said Akinbolusere, a resident of Road 7, Housing Estate, Igba, died on Thursday, October 29, in his office located beside BOVAS Petrol Station, Igba Town, at about 3 pm.
According to police, the incident was reported by members of the public, after which operatives attached to Bolorunduro Division visited the scene.
Two empty bottles suspected to have contained Sniper insecticide were recovered from a nearby bush.
In the viral video, which has circulated widely on social media, Akinbolusere, who was seen speaking from inside a vehicle and later in his office, lamented his business struggles, including technical faults affecting machines used in his operations.
The owner of Esther Estate also spoke about his humble beginnings, including working as a barber, and praised his wife, Esther Adenike Akinbolusere, for standing by him.
He repeatedly stated that he was acting of his own free will and announced that he was willing his properties to his wife, who hails from Ekiti, and their three children who are based in Canada.
“I am doing this video on behalf of my family. I, Akinbolusere Kayode, am doing my will on my properties. I am doing this on my own; nobody put pressure on me. I woke up and left for work, leaving my family at home,” he said in the video. “I will all my properties to my wife, Akinbolusere Esther, and my three children who are in Canada.”
The police said the remains of the deceased had been evacuated and deposited at the State Hospital Morgue for preservation and further examination, adding that no foul play or visible marks of violence were observed on his body at the time of examination.
“The Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, CP Felix Ohagwu, has directed a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident to establish the actual cause of death,” the statement said.
The police urged members of the public to refrain from speculation and allow investigation to run its course.
Meanwhile, the family of the businessman has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding his death.
His uncle, Femi Akinbolusere, told the media that the manner in which the deceased spoke about “surrendering” his property raised concerns that he might have been coerced, and demanded an autopsy to determine the actual cause of death.
