Adetunji Opayele, also known as Teejay, the co-founder and Chief Technical Officer of Bumpa, died on March 4 following an accident and a disregard for
Adetunji Opayele, also known as Teejay, the co-founder and Chief Technical Officer of Bumpa, died on March 4 following an accident and a disregard for his life.
Today, the public is demanding justice for him.
In a petition on Change.org, signed by over 13,000 people, the petitioners demand proof that Biola Adams-Odutayo is still in Lagos State. They also want her charged with manslaughter rather than reckless driving.
The petitioners noted that the police summoned Biola Adams-Odutayo to the station on March 17 and she failed to show up.
According to the petition, Opayele, who had the right of way, had just left the iFitness gym in Victoria Island and was riding along Ozumba Mbadiwe at 10:20 pm when Biola Adams-Odutayo, driving a vehicle with licence plate number LND 418 JR, appeared on the expressway without considering oncoming traffic, crashing into him.
Although fully equipped with safety gear, Opayele was knocked unconscious and left sprawled on the road.
The petition stated that after the crash, Biola Adams-Odutayo refused to step out of her vehicle to check on Opayele. Bystanders and good Samaritans rushed to help, pleading with her to assist, but she did nothing, the petitioners wrote.
“When they approached her friend, they were told, ‘She doesn’t want blood to stain her car.’ As Teejay lay unconscious but still breathing, Biola, a healthcare professional and Head of Health at a reputable insurance brokering firm, chose to stay on a phone call for over 30 minutes instead of helping to save a life,” the petition reads in part.
The petition, now shared by several X users, noted that bystanders desperately tried to get Opayele to a hospital, but many cars refused to stop until they managed to convince an Uber driver to transport him. However, the two hospitals the well-meaning passersby took Opayele to refused to admit him.
In desperation, the concerned individuals returned to the accident scene and placed him in a minibus. They also forced Biola Adams-Odutayo to accompany them, hoping that her presence would prevent further rejections.
“The only reason she remained at the accident scene was that bystanders physically prevented her from fleeing, especially after she had already arranged for her car to be towed away,” the petition stated.
“At 11:30 pm, Opayele’s brother received a call about the incident. He rushed to the scene and met a Samaritan who had held on to his belongings. The Samaritan handed them over to Opayele’s brother and accompanied him to the hospital where Opayele had been taken. On arrival, they were informed that Opayele was also just being brought in. This was past midnight. Shortly after arriving, he was declared dead.”
The petition further noted that after Teejay was pronounced dead, Biola Adams-Odutayo walked into the hospital and requested a drip, claiming she was in shock, before attempting to flee the premises.
Although she was arrested, the petition claimed that she and her family had boasted about their ‘connections’ and employed various tactics against Opayele’s grieving family and friends.
“To add insult to injury, Biola Adams-Odutayo indeed made good on those connections, as the Nigerian police charged her with reckless driving only, as if Opayele’s life was worth no more than a traffic violation,” the petition stated.
“Biola Adams-Odutayo was detained for only one night at the police station, and her whereabouts remained unknown for several days until she was charged in court with mere reckless driving. Her bail conditions were set at N1 million and two sureties, which she met on the same day. Since then, she has been comfortably at home, enjoying her freedom. This is why we are bringing our story to the public.”
