Police hunt killers of Bamidele’s loyalist in Ekiti NOVEMBER 6, 2013 BY AKINWALE ABOLUWADE 9 Comments Former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele THE police in Ekiti State have launched a manhunt for suspected killers of Mr. Foluso Ogundare, a supporter of House of Representatives’ member and governorship aspirant, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele. Ogundare, who was shot alongside another female supporter, Mrs. Beatrice Ige, by some suspected political thugs during a meeting at Ward 03 in Emure Ekiti, died late on Sunday at the Federal Medical Centre, Ido Ekiti. One of the suspected killers was said to have been nabbed and beaten up by angry youths in Emure Ekiti before being handed over to the police on Tuesday. But the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Victor Babayemi (ASP), denied the claim, saying, “We are currently on the trail of the suspected killers. We have not yet made any arrest so far as being widely rumoured. “The three men whose names were mentioned are yet to show up at the police headquarters and we have not made any arrest.” Babayemi said the command would not disclose the names of the suspected killers for security reasons and in order not to truncate investigation. He also dispelled the rumour that property belonging to some notable members of the All Progressives Congress in the community had been set on fire by angry youths. Babayemi said the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sotonye Wakama, deployed some policemen in Emure to forestall breakdown of law and order. He said, “There was no reprisal attack as being widely rumoured. Nothing of such has happened. No house was burnt. The town is calm and peaceful. “As I am talking to you now, our men are everywhere in the town. We are monitoring the situation closely and we assure the people that the Command has put necessary measures in place to ensure peace.” The Ekiti Justice Group, a political pressure group of Ekiti indigenes, on Tuesday, in a reaction to the attack on Bamidele’s supporters appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in the security situation in Ekiti. The EJG in a statement by its Coordinator, Comrade Ebenezer Olaleye, said, “Only the President can save Ekiti State from being plunged into a state of anarchy by Governor Fayemi and his thugs because we are getting closer to a situation where people will begin to defend themselves. “And as it is in Ekiti, the people might be pushed to such a state that they will begin to defend themselves and the result will be anarchy. “The President should therefore come to our aid in Ekiti by directing a thorough investigation into the previous cases of murder in the state, and in particular; the gruesome murder of Foluso Ogundare in Emure-Ekiti on Sunday.” Meanwhile, the Accord Party in Ekiti State said on Tuesday that it would put all political meetings on hold to avert crisis. The party said this in a statement signed by its state Secretary, Mr. Lanre Fasuan. It said, “In view of the recent incessant political killings within the warring factions of the APC, Accord in Ekiti has reviewed the ugly development and come out with the resolution that all political meetings in the party from ward to the state levels should be suspended till further notice. “This is imperative in view of the inability of the security agencies to guarantee the safety of lives and property of politicians across the state.” Also, the Centre for Democratic and Environmental Rights has condemned the killing. CEDER, in a statement made available to journalists by its Executive Director, Mr. Moses Adelabu, on Tuesday, said, “The shooting of innocent citizens of Ekiti State who were just holding their meeting is sad.”
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 13:34:37 +0000
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