How a Night Out Ended in Tragedy: 28-Year-Old Artisan Found Dead in Abandoned Badagry Pond

The Bovita central community in Badagry, Lagos State, has been thrown into mourning after the lifeless body of 28-year-old artisan, Ayienugba Ezekiel, was found in an abandoned fish pond with his hands tied behind his back.

Ezekiel, a pig farmer and father of one, reportedly told his wife on Saturday evening that he was heading out to a birthday party. When he failed to return, his wife, Abiola, began calling his phone, only to discover it had been switched off. Hours later, news spread that a body had been spotted inside a pond near the venue of the celebration.

Abiola, clutching their toddler son, described her devastation. She recounted how her husband had spent the morning watching football, returned home briefly to refill their cooking gas, and later went to his farm before heading out for the party. “He was so excited about taking our son to school for the first time on Monday. Unfortunately, he is not alive to do it. My world has been shattered. I just want justice for his murder,” she said.

Her brother, Razak, was the one who pulled Ezekiel’s body from the pond. He said Ezekiel was found kneeling, with his hands bound. “He didn’t drown. When we pressed his stomach, no water came out. He was killed before being dumped there,” Razak insisted. The family rushed him to Badagry General Hospital, where doctors confirmed him dead, before filing a report at the local police station.

Community sources alleged that a fight broke out during the party and that the celebrant ordered Ezekiel to be tied up. What followed remains unclear, though residents believe the loud music at the event may have drowned out any cries for help.

The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed that investigations are underway. Statements have been taken from family members and eyewitnesses, and efforts are ongoing to identify those present at the party.