The Tragic Death of Bumpa's CTO: A Call for Justice and Accountability

On March 5th, 2025, Adetunji Opayele, the co-founder and Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of Bumpa, a promising retail automation startup, tragically passed away. His death, initially attributed to a road accident, has sparked widespread outrage and concern after new details surfaced about the events leading up to the tragedy.

A petition on Change.org, initiated by an individual named 'Teejay Legacy,' has shed light on the circumstances surrounding Opayele's death, alleging that the accident was caused by Biola Adams-Odutayo, a healthcare professional and insurance executive. The petition, which has garnered over 30,000 signatures as of this report, claims that on the night of March 4th, 2025, Opayele, known to his friends and colleagues as Teejay, was involved in a fatal accident on Victoria Island’s Ozumba Mbadiwe expressway.

According to the petition, after a long day of work, Opayele was riding his power bike home from a visit to the iFitness gym in Victoria Island when he encountered a vehicle driven by Adams-Odutayo. The petition alleges that Adams-Odutayo, who had just finished dinner at a nearby restaurant, merged onto the expressway without regard for approaching traffic, colliding with Opayele, who had the right of way.

Despite Opayele being fully equipped with safety gear, the crash knocked him unconscious and left him sprawled on the road. Eyewitnesses claim that Adams-Odutayo, instead of helping or checking on Opayele, reportedly said, “She doesn’t want blood to stain her car.” Shockingly, the petition goes on to allege that Adams-Odutayo, despite being a trained healthcare professional, remained on a phone call for over 30 minutes without assisting the unconscious victim.

Efforts by bystanders to get Opayele medical attention were met with further obstacles. The petition describes how both hospitals refused to admit him, leaving desperate Samaritans to place him in a minibus and force Adams-Odutayo to accompany them in an attempt to secure care. It was only after bystanders physically prevented her from leaving the scene that she reluctantly followed.

Upon Opayele’s arrival at the hospital, it was too late. He was declared dead, and his family was left in a state of deep grief and disbelief. The petition highlights the inhumane nature of Adams-Odutayo’s actions, noting that after Opayele's death, she entered the hospital, requested a drip for herself, and then tried to flee the scene.

The situation worsened as the petition claims that Adams-Odutayo and her family used their alleged connections to minimize the consequences of her actions. The Nigerian police charged her with reckless driving, despite the severe loss of life, and she was detained for only one night before being granted bail with relatively low conditions. The petition calls for her to be charged with manslaughter and for a full investigation into the incident to ensure that justice is served.

Opayele’s tragic passing has left a gaping hole in the tech community. Before co-founding Bumpa, Opayele had an impressive career in software development, having worked with companies in both Nigeria and the United States, including Nigerian financial services provider E-Settlement and HostCabal, a web hosting company he founded. Bumpa has since announced that in his honor, it will create an AI assistant named "Teejay," aimed at providing business insights and solving problems in the same way Opayele did throughout his career.

As the fight for justice continues, Opayele’s family, friends, and colleagues remain hopeful that the Lagos State Government, the police, and other authorities will hold Adams-Odutayo accountable for her actions and ensure that such negligence does not go unpunished. The petition remains a rallying cry for justice, urging both local and state authorities to act swiftly and fairly to ensure that no one is above the law.