A team of lawyers in Oyo State has expressed the desire to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of former Super Eagles striker Rashidi Yekini.

The World Cup star, who is credited with scoring the highest goals for the national team, died in Ibadan on May 4, a few weeks after his family members took him away from his home.

Yekini’s former lawyer, Mohammed Olanrewaju, told THE PUNCH in a telephone interview on Wednesday that the lawyers were ready to wade into the matter with the view to exposing the truth about Yekini’s death.

He said, “The lawyers are unhappy that everyone keeps quiet over the death of Rashidi because it revolves round his family. They have argued that the issue goes beyond family matter, not only because a national hero was involved but because of the traces of manslaughter or murder that are noticed in the reports before he died.”

Olanrewaju added that he had called on the family many times to apologise to the nation over their role in his death as this would demonstrate remorse.

“What the family did was not acceptable. I have called on them to come out with the truth and name those involved in the circumstances leading to his death. They were misled by the negative reports about their son’s health and I told them not to keep quiet over the matter. If they had done that, the nation would have forgiven them. I am aware that everyone is furious over his death.”

He said one of the major areas to be clarified was the striker’s whereabouts between the time he was taken away by his family and the time he was moved to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.