By Amidu Arije
The joy of every mother is to see her child grow to become and become successful in life. Mrs. Surat Aderonke, mother of Dr. Stephen Urueye, the medical doctor that was murdered a day after his graduation, also brimmed with such expectations.
The woman was full of hopes that when her only son and last born in the family would graduates, as a medical doctor, she would begin reaping the fruit of her labour. Alas, this hope was shattered by the death of his beloved son, who was stabbed to death by robbers in Idi-Araba, Mushin, Lagos.
For Urueye, 25, who was inducted into the University of Lagos Medical College last November, it was end of the road, as unknown robbers cut short his ambition in life. Stephen was among the over 12,000 graduates, who took part in the 50th convocation ceremony of the University of Lagos in April.
Urueye, just like everyone else, had hoped to see the end of the day but luck ran against him, as the sun set at noon for him. The medical doctor was on his way home after the close of activities on the fateful day when the unknown robbers stabbed him to death after carting away his belongings.
It was reported that through the help of colleagues, Urueye struggled back to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) where doctors attended to him but he gave up the ghost after several efforts to save his life.
Urueye graduated from Bessie International School from where he proceeded to Bosworth College for his secondary education. He wasted no time at home after his secondary school education; he wrote the Unified Tertiary Examination (UTME) by the Joint Administration and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to study medicine and surgery at the University of Lagos (UNILAG and was admitted same year he did his UTME.
READ ALSO: EFCC files criminal charges against Bauchi gov-elect
Speaking on Urueye, his sister, Wahab Memunat, said he was an introvert, who hardly talked to anyone. She described him as a complete gentle man.
“He was a very gentle boy. He goes on his own, he doesn’t like to talk to people. In fact, I can say he was extremely introvert,” she said.
Memunat added that Urueye was a lone man, who did his things in his own way; he didn’t interact much with people outside, and he had no friends.
“Whenever he comes home from school, he just go into his room relax and watch films or watch football when he desires so and eats and then goes to sleep. He doesn’t like to go around, he doesn’t like noise. He likes to be quiet and be on his own,” she said.
Memunat said the mother is still in shock and finds it difficult to believe it happened. “The mother is trying to get herself together; she can’t believe it happened. She feels it is like a dream.”
Giving insight to the moment when Stephen was inducted into medical college last year, Memunat stated that it was an exciting day for the whole family but added that the excitement is now over, as there is no hope for them any longer to celebrate him after his housemanship.
“His induction into the medical profession was last year November and the convocation was just to present their certificates to them. He was doing his housemanship at LUTH before. He started in January and expected to finish by November.
It was a joyous day for the family when he was inducted into the medical school last year. Everyone felt excited. It was just normal for us to rejoice with him on that day, going by the stress and all the challenges he had gone through before being inducted, which was the peak of it all. We were all full of excitement but today the excitement is short lived.
“He was never known for any unruly behaviour at any stage of his life. Even when the provost came to our house, he said he had never seen somebody as gentle as he was before. He gave them ideas in the class in terms of consultations and all that,” she said.
