The Thursday night gruesome murder of the former chairman of Ekiti State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Chief Omolafe Aderiye by hired assassins has been condemned by the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State.
The State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Pastor Kola Oluwawole who addressed a press conference in Ado Ekiti on Friday told Journalists that the killing was an act of wickedness, describing it as barbaric and satanic which cannot be separated from the clandestine activities of the All Progressive Congress (APC) government led by Dr Kayode Fayemi who he said has vowed to make the state ungovernable for the incoming administration of the PDP.
“We’ve raised an alarm on the clandestine move by the Fayemi and his men to attack the Governor-Elect, Dr Ayo Fayose and some notable leaders in all the 16 Local Government Areas as from the 22nd of September 2014 while the killing of Aderiye who is one of the notable leader of the party in Ado Ekiti occurred on the 25th same month, this has vindicated our earlier claims,” Oluwawole said at the conference.
He narrated that late Aderiye was at the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ado Ekiti over the 21st June Governorship election in Ekiti State, when he mobilised all NURTW members and other associations in solidarity with Fayose, noting then that as a result of his commitment to the mandate given to the Governor-Elect, he became a prime target of the ruling All Progressive Congress government.
On Thursday morning, the latest victim of the APC killer-squad was beaming with smile without any premonition of the impending gruesome murder in the evening of same day at his Ijigbo office in Ado Ekiti.
“We don’t have any doubt in our mind if the information at our disposal is anything to go by and the murder incidence that have been linked directly with the All Progressive Congress members across the state in the past; some of which include:
Adeleye Awomulate 15/11/2010, Kehinde Fajuyi 23/03/2011, Michaele Ipinlaye 23/02/2011, Teslim Abiola // 2012, Ayo Jeje 31/03/2013, Juliana Adewumi 31/3/13, Foluso Ogundare 3/11/13, Akinola Abiola /06/2014, Chief Omolafe Aderiye,25/9/2014
“Chief Adeleye Awolumate who was killed on the 15th November, 2010 was the PDP chairman for Osun Ward in Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State. He was among the victims of the reign of terror unleashed on the state on Thursday, 18th November 2010 by the ACN thugs. Awolumate died at the Federal Medical Centre, Ido-Ekiti.”
He further pointed to another prominent victim of the “ACN terror gang”, saying she was a six months old pregnant woman, Adeola Akande.
Oluwawole narrated: “Adeola was being slaughtered like a goat before she was rescued from the APC thugs, she lost her pregnancy in the process.
“Curiously, Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Rotimi Olabiwonu, alias “Mentilo” and former Chairman of NURTW, Tajudeen Hassan who were alleged to have murdered Awolumate were arrested by the police and subsequently charged to court. They were freed courtesy of the Fayemi-led government.
“Kota-Ekiti, Ekiti East LG, Kehinde Fajuyi and Michael Ipinlaye were shot dead by thugs and policemen sent by the APC government. Interestingly, it was only the policemen who accompanied the thugs that were charged to court and convicted for murder while the thugs were left untouched!
“Another killing linked with the APC government was that of a 400 Level Accounting Student of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti. Teslim who died as a result of injuries he sustained when a vehicle allegedly driven by one Mr. Tope Longe, the Senior Special Assistant (Special Duties) to Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi hit him on Wednesday, 26th September 2012 and he died on Friday, 28th September 2012.”
Oluwawole equally explained that one Ayo Murphy Jeje was shot dead at Erijiyan Ekiti by the ACN (now APC) thugs on 30th March 2013. He said Jeje was among the members of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) from Erijiyan-Ekiti that were billed to decamp to the PDP on Sunday, 31st March 2013. A meeting on their planned defection to the PDP was being held at about 8pm on Saturday, March 30, 2013 when the APC thugs attacked them, killing Ayo Jeje and injuring several others. On that same day, 76 year old Mrs Juliana Adewumi was also shot severally; she died few weeks later at the FMC, Ido-Ekiti.
According to Oluwawole the APC Chairman, Jide Awe and others are standing trial for their alleged involvement in the murder of Jeje and Juliana Adewumi.
He added that another victim of the Fayemi’s killers squad was a 37 year-old Foluso Ogundare who was brutally murdered by APC thugs in Emure Ekiti with one of the APC members in the Ekiti State House of Assemby, Kehinde Boluwade and eight others currently facing trial for this murder.
“Also on 9th June 2014, one Taiwo Akinola and several others were wounded in a fracas at Ijigbo area of Ado-Ekiti. Taiwo, who was going to his place of work, was allegedly shot by APC thugs. Several vehicles were also destroyed that day,” he said.
“We appeal to the Inspector General of Police and all relevant security agencies to bring to book the perpetrators of these dastard act so that those whose is to create a chaotic situation that will negatively affect the swearing-in of the Governor-Elect will not have their Way.
“We also implore the state commissioner of police and other security agencies to provide adequate security for the Governor-Elect and all the PDP leaders who have been marked for elimination by the Fayemi led government.”
