24092020 - BLACK WEDNESDAY: 30 killed in Kogi petrol tanker explosion

28 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020
HORROR: LG director murdered
in presence of wife, children
*How my Husband was killed – Wife
*Why was my father killed? Son laments
*Killers would be fished out – Police
By Rotimi Ojomoyela
“WHY was my father killed, what
has he done to deserve such a
gruesome death, how could
people be so wicked to snuff life
out of an easy going man like my
Father?”
These were the questions on the
quivering lips of Jejelowo
Gbohunmi, one of the sons of the
slain Director of Administration
in the Ekiti State Local
Government Service
Commission, Prince David
Jejelowo, to whoever comes to
sympathize with them on the
gruesome murder of his father.
The deceased was robbed
sometimes in 2005, and
kidnapped on Monday, January
7, 2019 along Ijan-Ekiti road,
while returning from his office at
Ode-Ekiti, the headquarters of
Gboyin local government area.
He escaped death then after
being held captive for four days.
He was set free after an undisclosed
amount of money was paid as
ransom by his family members.
Sadly, the police is still searching
for those responsible for his
abduction.
The agent of death came calling
again nine months after his close
shave with death. This time, there
was no escape. His assailants
pumped hot bullets into him,
killing him right in the presence of
his wife and children.
His assailants may have trailed
him from either his friend’s place
or the barber’s shop where he
visited before retiring to his house
on the night he was killed in cold
blood.
Their house, located on Umesi
By James Ogunnaike
A
coalition of youths of the
Idejiyo Ruling House of
Igbesaland, in Ado-Odo/Ota Local
Government area of Ogun State
have petitioned the Ogun State
Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun
to wade into the Obaship crisis in
the town and stop the alleged
desperation of some indigenes to
subvert due process in the
installation of the traditional ruler
of the town
Speaking through their counsel,
Casmier Nwoye, the youths in a
petition titled ‘’Re: Desperation by
Some Unscrupulous Elements to
Subvert due process and the rule
of law in the kingship stool of
Igbesaland; a plea for timely
intervention,’’ called on Governor
Abiodun to wade into the Obaship
crisis in the ancient town and stop
the installation of illegal Oba for
the town.
“As you may be aware sir, the
Obaship stool of Igbesaland
became vacant, by reason of death
of the then paramount king of
Late Prince David Jejelowo
Street, Akinyede Estate, Igirigiri
area of Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State
capital, has been busy, as
sympathizers have been trooping
in and out since the deceasedwas
shot dead by unknown gunmen
around 10pm on a Sunday.
Neighbours gathered in clusters,
some wailing, gnashing their teeth
and stamping the ground while
others were talking in hush tones,
as an air of melancholy permeates
Igbesaland, Oba Olushola Banuso
in 2015.
“Since then, attempts and efforts
have been made, albeit
unsuccessfully, at the installation
of a new King for Igbesaland, owing
to some imbroglios which have
characterized the said Obaship
stool from nomination of 10 illegal
warrant chiefs by the then
Commissioner for Local
Government and Chieftaincy
Affairs, instead of appointment of
three warrant king-makers to join
the only surviving king-maker for
the legal selection of a candidate
to occupy the Obaship stool out
of the 10 nominated candidates
contesting for the throne.
“It is the case of our clients, and in
line with the Chieftaincy Declaration
of Igbesaland, which was made on the
15th day of September 1955, approved
on the 18th day of October 1956 and
registered on the 24th day of April
1958, that from relatively recent
antiquity, the Obaship stool of
Igbesaland had been conscientiously
and agreeably restricted to three
ruling houses to wit; (a) Idejiyo
the whole of Imesi street.
The living room of the deceased
was also filled with sympathizers
with tell tale signs of the attack -
bullet-ridden walls and bloodstained
tiled floors.
To many in the state, Jejelowo’s
fate appeared as a big jigsaw puzzle,
which the law enforcement
agencies in the state would have to
find an answer.
How my husband was killed –
wife
Narrating how her husband was
mowed down by the mysterious
gunmen, traumatized Mrs
Olusola Jejelowo said: “The
incident happened around 9:30-
10 pm on Sunday night. We were
in our living room watching NTA
newsline on Sunday, and just
about a few minutes to the end of
the programme, we had gunshots
from one of the windows in the
living room.
“My Husband had earlier gone
out to check the gates and the
door and this had been his routine
since he returned from the
kidnapper’s den early last year.
All the curtains had been drawn
down, we had also put off all the
lights, especially in the living
room. It was only the television
light that provided illumination.
Suddenly, we started noticing
movement around one of the
windows and we observed that
the blind was opened.
“Immediately, my husband
stood up and as he was
approaching the window I heard
a gunshot, I ran through the
dinning wing to the room but my
husband went to the side of the
sitting room and the assailant shot
at him many times.
Royal tussle: Igbesa youths petition Ogun govt
Ruling House (b) Idorubu Ruling
House (c) Iganla Ruling House.
“Pursuant to the above, the Idejiyo
ruling house had a chance and
indeed produced the King of
Igbesaland, Oba Saliu Dada Akinde
between 1953-1955. Thereafter, it
was the turn of the Idorubu Ruling
House, which produced the next
king of Igbesaland, Oba Adeshola
Benjamin between 1957-1985.
Then came the turn of the Iganla
Ruling House, which produced the
last king of Igbesaland HRM Oba
Olushola Banuso between 1986
and 2015. Rotationally, it is the
turn of the Idejiyo Ruling House at
the kingship stool of Igbesaland.
“It is on record that the resultant
selection processes of the would-be
candidate for the Igbesa Obaship stool,
which were sequel to the already tainted
(with inequity) nominations was
eventually declared a nullity by a court
judgement, which was delivered by His
Lordship, Hon Justice N.I Agbelu on
Wednesday, the 26th day of June,
2019. The said judgement was based
on the illegal constitution of the warrant
chiefs who had selected Prince
My husband was hit by
bullets in several parts of his
body including his
abdomen and shoulder.
After the assailant left, he
was in a pool of his own
blood, moaning and
gasping for air.
“Immediately after the
shooting, the person left, we
could not identify whether it was
a male or female, old or young. I
and the children came out and
started screaming for help but for
30 minutes no one could come
out because the sound of the gun
was heavy.
‘’My husband was hit by bullets
in several parts of his body
including his abdomen and
shoulder. After the assailant left,
he was in a pool of his own blood,
moaning and gasping for air. The
words that came to my mouth at
that moment was ‘who could have
done this? Is this the end of this
Abdulazeez Oluwatoyin Akinde, in
total disregard to the Chieftaincy
Declaration of Igbesaland.
“The judgement also ordered a
reconstitution of the King-makers for
the purposes of re-selecting the Oba
of Igbesaland, as the fruit of any bad
tree can never be good.
“In spite of the above court
judgement, some elements in and
around Igbesa, have kept on
parading Prince Abdulazeez
Oluwatoyin Akinde as the Oba-elect
for the Igbesa kingship stool."
“We have the instruction of our
clients, to specifically appeal to you
to order strict adherence to the
rotational agreement of the clans
within the Idejiyo Ruling House as
the Obaship stool of Igbesaland is
their turn. As such, a fresh election
should be ordered, to the exclusion
of the Saliu Dada (Akinde) clan, in
that they produced the Oba of
Igbesaland in 1953 thereby
allowing other clans of the Idejiyo
Ruling House to take their chance
at the Obaship stool of Igbesaland.”
show? among other words’.
“It happened right in my eyes,
my husband was killed right before
me. We want God to do justice,
because there is no justice in
Nigeria now. I believe that the
Lord that he served would do
justice. God will expose the
person(s) behind this. I want
justice. I want justice from God
and man.
“ Let the person(s) responsible
for this be exposed so that he/she/
they can confess and tell the world
what my husband did that he was
so tormented to that extent. He
was a CAC member, a lover of
Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola. He
loved God till his death.’’
It’s a clear case of
assassination - son
Gbohunmi, the second son of
Jejelowo, claimed that the killing
of his father was a clear
assassination based on the
manner of the operation. ‘’He was
not a politician or a businessman.
Why was he killed gruesomely?’
He said: “I was inside the room
with my younger brother when I
heard my father trying to ask who
was at the window and the next
thing I heard was sporadic
gunshots, and right in my room I
was praying that the gunshots
should be to the air because if
eventually if they meet anyone,
such person cannot survive them.
“Lo and behold, we came out
and met our father in a pool of
blood. We tried to rescue him, we
rushed him to a nearby hospital
but we were referred to the
University Teaching Hospital
where he was confirmed dead.
“We seek justice. We want
government and security
agencies to rise up to their
responsibilities and fish out the
perpetrator of this evil act. My dad
at about 8pm paid a visit to his
bosom friend in the street, he was
also at a barber’s shop to cut his
hair that same evening before he
returned home. He was not killed
at these spots but in his own house,
it shows the killer did it with
confidence.
“I couldn’t blame anyone
particularly neighbours who
couldn’t come out but I am
surprised that despite our visit to
the police station to report the
matter perhaps for first hand
evidences, they did not show up
until 10am the next day.
“If the killer of my dad could go
free, definitely we are not safe,
what do you expect of us as
children, are we safe?
“My dad was kidnapped
sometimes last year between
January 7 and 9. I think both
crimes are related. After he was
released from the den of
kidnappers, a month after, we
visited a communication
company to verify the identity of
the line with which the kidnappers
contacted us, we were told that
my dad came to register same line
a month before the incident and
my dad confirmed that he didn’t
register such line.
“After he was released, my dad
had been gripped with fear, he
panicked at every little thing, he
was scared of travelling, his blood
pressure rose beyond normal.”
Killers would be fished out-
Police
The Police Public Relations
Officer, Mr Sunday Abutu, told
South-West voice that
investigation is still ongoing to
unravel the assassins of Jejelowo,
“we are assuring the public that
the perpetrators shall be arrested
and punished for their sins.”
The police spokesman urged the
public to oblige the police with
information that can help them in
checkmating killings and other
crimes in the state.