NIGERIAN YOUTHS PAY HOMAGE TO DAGRIN

THE C.E.O

For two days, Thursday, April 22, 2010 and Friday, April 23, 2010, the premises of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), played host to the large number of youths who thronged the compound seeking for information about their own, Olaitan Oladapo Olanipekun, aka, Dagrin. They neither got to see him on the Thursday that he died, nor did they get any information. They just waited and far into the night, around 12 midnight, the authorities at LUTH fearing a breakdown in law and order had to call for reinforcements and a Police Armoured Truck was sent in.

It didn't come in to disperse the crowd, but to watch over things. The crowd themselves were also in no mood to make trouble, because they were mourning. So, getting no concrete information about any arrangements being made for the transfer of DaGrin's body or his burial, they had to leave. But by 7am the next morning, they had already started reconvening and in no time, the crowd was back. This time, something must give.

Most of those present included music personalities who had lost one of their own. YQ, DaGrin's close pal, Sossick, his producer, Bigiano, K-Solo, Lexy Doo, DJ Jimmy Jatt, DJ Bombastic, DJ Rexy, Klever J, Dekunle Fuji, Mr. Kool, Muma Gee and so many others were present. Sunday Are, a respected music personality, had been on ground since Thursday helping to keep things in shape. Around noon, DaGrin's father, Comrade Olaniyi Olaonipekun came in and in the company of the Lagos State Police Command's P.R.O, Mr. Frank Mba delivered a heart rending speech. He said, despite his strained look, that he was not mourning. "I only had the privilege of being DaGrin's father, but he belonged to all of us, so we are all mourning. But let no one use what has happened to my son as an excuse to cause havoc. You cannot miss my son more than me and you cannot mourn him more than me. So we should all stay calm and by Monday, April 27, 2010, we would have information on the burial arrangements of my son, Olaitan Oladapo Olaonipekun. Please you can all go home and await that information. Thank you."

Mr. Frank Mba also charged all to respect law and other and requested that anyone that had any extra information about the circumstances that led to DaGrin's death to come forward in private to him or the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr. Akpoyibo and they would act on it in strict confidence. Many of the musicians present also had one or more things to say but the likes of Sossick and YQ were too shocked for words. Sossick just sat unobtrusively in one corner and looked lost while YQ was disconsolate. They had to put two guys on him to prevent him from totally losing control.

Here are some of the pictures from the second day at LUTH.

"I am not mourning." - DaGrin's father, Comrade Olaniyi Olaonipekun.

DaGrin's Father and Mr. Frank Mba

DaGrin's Manager, Tunde Peters, pointing the way home

Dekunle Fuji, Dude Tetsola, DJ Bombastic and Lexy Doo

DJ JIMMY JATT was really pained

THE LADIES WEREN'T LEFT OUT

MUMA GEE cried

The Police almost arrested this guy for taking it too personal

POLICEMEN FROM ALAKARA POLICE DIVISION

MOURNFUL MUSHIANS

SOME HAD TO SIT

"Our C.E.O is gone"

This is LUTH!