*The Inspector General of Police , Sunday Ehindero will hold another press conference in Abuja on Thursday on his many findings on the murder of Ayo daramola, Saharareporters notes that in spite of his culpability as documented in our numerous reports and that of the SSS, former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose has not yet been declared wanted by the Nigerian Police or the EFCC*
By Foluso Ogunmodede and Kunle Olasanmi, Abuja
LAGOS lawyer Mr Femi Falana yesterday raised the alarm that the police had perfected a plan to "bungle the inquiry into the cold murder of Dr Ayo Daramola and other politically-motivated killings that characterised the Ayo Fayose administration in Ekiti State."Besides, the West African Bar Association (WABA) President declined an invitation by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Sunday Ehindero, to a meeting in Abuja, accusing the police of complicity in the serial killings that rocked the administration of the impeached governor.
But the Managing Editor of The News magazine, Mr Babafemi Ojudu, who attended the meeting was detained.
A source at the Force Headquarters said yesterday that Ojudu may be paraded along with other suspects this afternoon by Ehindero.
The IGP is to address a press conference today in Abuja. It is expected that at the press conference, the motive behind the murder of Daramola would be revealed.
Ojudu was arrested by the police over a suspect’s statement that the journalist induced him to say that an expectant mother was killed for rituals to help Fayose win the governorship election in 2003. The suspect, Tunde Bamiteko said Ojudu and Falana wanted him to implicate Fayose.
Following Bamiteko’s evidence, the police invited Ojudu and Falana.
But Ojudu could not honour the invitation because he was ill.
Before the invitation, his organisation (The News) had booked an interview appointment with the IGP.
Since he failed to honour the police invitation, they (the Police) called him and the Managing Director of The News, Mr. Bayo Onanuga to come to the Lagos State Police Command. What they were made to believe was that the IGP was in Lagos for the interview.
When they got to the Lagos State Police Command, Ojudu was arrested and brought to Abuja by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Emmanuel Adebayo.
He was taken straight to the Force Headquarters where he met with the IGP for about 20 minutes.
A source said the atmosphere of the meeting was charged.
What was discussed at the meeting with the IGP was not known but the Force Public Relations Officer, Haz Iwendi told The Nation that the police are not through with Ojudu yet.
Ojudu did not come with anything except the cloth he was putting on. He was in the company of Mr. Kunle Ajibade, the Executive Editor of the Magazine.
His detention is coming days after The News published a cover story on the Ehindero-led police’s failure to bring to justice perpetrators of the killings in Ekiti, among others. "The IG was furious over this and decided to take his pound of flesh," a source said.
Falana yesterday said there was no way he could honour the IGP’s invitation as it was obvious that the police were behind the allegation of inducement brought against him and others.
The police had in a letter dated November 3, and signed by ACP Ali Amodu, invited Falana, an Ado-Ekiti chief and Senior Advocate Afe Babalola, Ojudu, Mr Yinka Akerele and Hon Ropo Ige to Abuja for a meeting in respect of investigations into the murder of Daramola and other killings in Ekiti State.
"I’ve been directed by the IG to invite you for a meeting scheduled to take place in the office of the IG on November 7, at 2p.m. The invitation is sequel to the on-going police investigations," the letter said.
But Falana challenged the police to publish all statements obtained by the suspect in the course of investigations, insisting that the police masterminded Bamiteko’s allegation of inducement, hence he had adopted legal measures to clear his good name.
He said: it may interest you to know that I would have declined to attend the said meeting if I were in Nigeria in view of the ongoing moves to bungle the inquiry into the cold murder of Dr Ayo Daramola and other politically-motivated killings that characterized the Ayo Fayose regime in Ekiti State.
"You would recall that at the meeting of the Ekiti Stakeholders convened by the Inspector-General of Police in the Police Headquarters, Abuja on August 18, 2006 I accused the Police authorities of complicity in the serial assassinations and other heinous crimes committed by Mr Ayo Fayose’s killer squad in Ekiti State in the last three and a half years. But upon the assurance of the Inspector-General of Police that the Federal Government had decided to arrest the murderous attacks on innocent persons in Ekiti State I pledged my unflinching cooperation with the investigating team headed by your good self.
"Apart from my comprehensive oral briefing I made available to you, upon your request, a copy of the 33-page report of the State Security Service which had indicted Mr Ayo Fayose and members of his killer squad in the several cases of politically motivated killings... was also made available. I also sent several witnesses to you to assist in your investigation.
"Although some of the witnesses were asked what I had set out to achieve in exposing the perpetrators of the serial political murders, I took solace in the fact that most of the suspects arrested by your team made confessional statements, I commended the Police publicly when I confirmed that the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Police Command had arrested all the suspects who were allegedly hired by Mr Goke Olatunji (the Personal Assistant to Governor Ayo Fayose) to assassinate Dr Ayo Daramola."
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