-Saharareporters, Lagos
The noose may finally be closing in on the “killers’ squad” in Ekiti State, Southwest of Nigeria as the public outcry over poor police handling of the murder of Ayo Daramola became loud and critical of the Inspector General Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero who is personally handling the “investigations” as earlier reported the shoddy handling of the murder investigations based upon the perceived closeness of the IG to Governor Fayose has led to the involvement of the State Security Service (SSS) as well as letters written by Chief Afe Babalola to Obasanjo citing flaws in the police handling of the case.
As earlier reported by Saharareporters, the state security service (SSS) had earlier written a damning report about the existence of a “Killer Squads” in Ekiti State and other states in Nigeria have swung into action as a way of frustrating the top hierarchy of the police force from bungling the murder case.
Since last week Wednesday, the SSS arrested four persons who sources told Saharareporters have made confessional statements about their role in the killings in Ekiti State. According to press reports, over 11 individuals including students have been murdered in Ekiti State since 2003 by killer squads directly sponsored by the governor, Ayo Fayose. The arrested people are: Odunayo Adeomi; Francis Ariwajoye; Abegunde Femi and Dele Ogunleye. They are part of the killer squads that were suspected in the killing of PDP gubernatorial candidate, Ayo Daramola who was murdered by assassins in his bedroom in Ijan-Ekiti as he made an emergency trip to his home state from his Lagos base. Sources said Ayo Daramola was invited to come to a “PDP emergency meeting” by the state chairman of the party, Mr. Ropo Adesanya who was briefly detained and released by the police.
Also being sought is the driver to Major Dayo Okondo (rtd), Ajayi Egbo who was said to have driven an assassin squad to kill the former Chairman to Ado-Ekiti local government, Mr. Taiye Fasuba over his disagreements with Governor Fayose in the handling of local government funds in the state (Major Dayo Okondo is named as a member of the “Kiler Squad” in Ekiti State). The governor is accused by the EFCC of embezzling N11 billion of the local government funds since 2003. Ajayi Egbo (the driver to Major Dayo Okondo (rtd)) in earlier arrest has confessed to the crime. He told police authorities that they were contracted by Goke Adetunji to kill Taiye Fasuba but two members of the assassin squad were heavily drugged and shot at each other leading to the death of one of them at Fasuba’s house while the other one died later in the hospital. Goke Olatunji-currently facing corruptions and money laundering charges alongside Governor Fayose and his deputy, Mrs. Olujimi- have admitted to sending the squad saying they had no intention of killing Fasuba. According to him, they merely wanted to rough him up a little bit” so that he can back off troubling Governor Fayose about local government funds.
Meanwhile, the SSS has declared wanted Mr. Niyi Adedipe who is the current personal assistant (PA) to Senator Bode Olowoporoku. Last week, Senator Olowoporoku’s house in Ekiti was raided by security agents a few days ago and he was instructed to produce Niyi Adedipe immediately. (Niyi Adedipe is also named as a member of the “killer Squad” according to SSS security reports on Ekiti State)
Also revealed to Saharareporters is the arrest of the Chief Security Officer to Governor Fayose, Mr. Gbenga Joseph-a strong member of the killer squad- by the police authorities in Abuja, Mr. Gbenga Joseph a police officer has since been detained at the Abuja headquarters of the police force since last week. It is strange that the police authorities did not make public his subsequent arrest and interrogation. His arrest follows the arrest and interrogation of the state commissioner of information, Mr. Gboyaga Oguntuase.
He was quizzed by the police to explain why he issued a public statement about the intention of opposition groups to “kill a top PDP aspirant” in the state on the day Ayo Daramola was murdered. At 4:00 PM on that fateful day Ayo Daramola was murdered in his bedroom, Gboyega made a public statement that was widely read on television and radio across the state about the impending strike on a PDP chieftain. Oguntuase was said to have confessed to the police authorities that it was Governor Fayose who’d asked that he make the strange public statements on that day. He said he was merely acting on orders from his boss. Ayo Daramola was killed in the night of August 14th 2006, the same day the commissioner of information made his pronouncement about the intended killings.
The new twists in the investigation is coming on the heels of a public pronouncement by the Director General of the SS, Col. Kayode Are that most state chief executives maintains killer squads used to harass, intimidate and murder political opponents in the states. Though he made a promise to release his agency’s findings to the public, the DG of SSS was yet to make any further releases or pronouncements on those claims.
Sources close to the SSS said there have been immense pressures on the SSS by PDP leaders not to make further revelations to that effect as the PDP controlled states were said to be most guilty of maintaining killer squads. The Inspector of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero is expected to officially interrogate, Governor Ayo Fayose on Tuesday in Abuja.
Our source quoted the governor as saying, “well, I know they have closed in on me, I was nobody before I became governor, if they get me, I will only be back to being nobody, but I hate to go to prison” this was contrary to a public statement credited to him.
We could not confirm if governor Fayose was already informed about the massive evidence against him on all fronts, the next week(s) may be decisive for his political career. If his recently reported outbursts are anything to go by, the governor may as well have taken the American saying “Object in the mirror are closer than they appear” to heart.
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