• Fayemi imposes curfew • Police restore peace, make
arrests • Killing to stop inauguration of my govt -Fayose
Violence erupted in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital,
yesterday morning following the assassination on
Thursday night of the former state chairman of the National
Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Chief Omolafe
Aderiye. Aderiye, a close associate of the Ekiti State
Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose and Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, was killed by four
assassins who shot at him repeatedly at his office at the
Ijigbo area of the capital city. Sources said the deceased,
who attempted to flee the scene after being shot by the
suspected killers, fell on the ground while the assassins
had the opportunity to pump more bullets into him. The
assassins, who drove to the scene in a white car were said
to have dressed in police uniform. The body of the
deceased had since been deposited at the morgue of Ekiti
State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, The violence
which began as early as 6 a.m. yesterday left the capital
city as a ghost town. This was as all commercial activities
including transport were paralysed as protesters razed
down Fayemi’s personal office in the Ajilosun area and the
All Progressives Congress (APC) state and Ado Ekiti local
government secretariats. Houses and property of APC
members were also vandalised. Following the murder
which Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, traced to the
crises at the Ekiti State High Court Complex in the week, a
7p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew was imposed on the state till further
notice as part of effort to curb violence in the state. Fayemi,
in a statewide broadcast yesterday, expressed regret on the
series of attacks on judges in the last one week and the
death of Aderiye. The governor, who also announced the
suspension of his Thank You tour of the state, urged the
citizenry to be vigilant and provide security agencies with
details of suspicious activities that could undermine the
peace of the state. While calling on all stakeholders in the
state to cooperate with government “to stop the violence
and brigandage that had brought about serious
embarrassment” to the state, Fayemi charged all and
sundry to temper their “competitive zeal with civility and
empathy”. He said: “In order to forestall further descent
into anarchy in our state, I am taking the very difficult
decision to suspend the Thank You tour which I am
undertaking as part of our transitioning out formalities”.
Fayemi also moved round to inspect the level of damage
done by the rioters. The state governor-elect, Mr. Fayose,
who paid a condolence visit to the widow of the slain
Aderiye, Funmilayo, and the family at their Olokutameji
residence, described the killing of the associate as
barbaric. Fayose, who said “this is a political killing”,
added that “the blood of Aderiye will find its killers”. He
urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation into
the assassination with a view to find the culprits and
ensure justice. The governor-elect described the
accompanying crisis as “a clear reaction of the people to
what is happening in town.” Fayose said the target of the
people behind the dastardly act was to ensure that the
inauguration of the new government billed for October 16
did not hold. Also reacting to Aderiye’s murder, the PDP
State Publicity Secretary, Pastor Kola Oluwawole,
condemned it, describing it as most irresponsible and
callous. Oluwawole said in a statement yesterday: “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 September 22 while the killing of Aderiye who is
one of the notable leaders of the party in Ado Ekiti occurred
on the 25th same month, this has vindicated our earlier
claims.” Oluwawole said that the late Aderiye was at the
Ekiti State Election Petitions Tribunal in Ado Ekiti on
Thursday “when he mobilised all driver union members and
other associations in solidarity with the Governor-Elect, Dr
Fayose. According to him, as a result of Aderiye’s
commitment to the mandate given to the governor-elect, he
became a prime target of the ruling APC government”. The
youth protesting Aderiye’s death, vandalised government
property located along the road, while some vehicles
parked from Fajuyi to Ajilosun were vandalised. They also
made bonfires on major roads, thus making it hectic for the
police, led by its Commissioner, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu, who
was out to restore normalcy. Spokesman for the police in
Ekiti State, Mr. Victor Babayemi, who said the effort of the
Police Commissioner had brought the situation in the
metropolis under control, stated that a number of suspects
had been arrested and taken into custody for investigation
in relation to the mayhem. Babayemi said “the state Police
Command is also on the trail of the gunmen who shot and
killed the former NURTW boss”.
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