Two men, Tajudeen Bello and Luck Solomon, who allegedly murdered Mr Bunmi Ojo, a Commissioner in the Federal Character Commission, were on Monday in Ado Ekiti remanded in prison on the orders of an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court.
The accused — Bello, 22, and Solomon, 32 — are facing a two-count charge of murder and membership of a cult.
While arraigning the accused, Police Prosecutor Johnson Okunade told the court that the accused committed the offences on August 14 in the state capital.
According to him, the duo conspired and murdered the politician, a personal assistant to a former governor of Ekiti, Mr Segun Oni.
The prosecutor alleged that the accused were members of a secret society — Black Axe confraternity.
The offences contravene Section 319 of the Criminal Code and Section 4 (1) of the Secret Cults Abolition and Prohibition Laws of Ekiti 2012.
Okunade asked the court to remand the accused in prison pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Mr Chris Omokhafe, counsel to the accused, applied for bail for them but this was refused by the court.
In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye remanded of the duo in prison and adjourned the case til September 19 for the DPP’s advice.
Remains of the chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), were on Friday August 17 laid to rest in his hometown, Ido Ekiti, in Ido-Osi Local Government Area of the state.
He was killed at a viewing centre on Adebayo Road in Ado Ekiti while watching an English Premiership League match.
At his burial, scores of aggrieved women had removed their head gears, wept and cursed his killers. During the service held at Methodist Church, Ido-Ekiti, security men at the event had a hectic time controlling the women, who intermittently disrupted the church service.
At the event were associates, relatives, neighbours and friends of the ex-personal assistant to a former Governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni.
They included Oni, Ekiti State Governor-Elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; a former deputy to Oni, Dr. Sikiru Lawal; members of the state executive of the APC led by the Chairman, Mr. Jide Awe, Deputy-Governor Elect, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi; Oni’s wife, Kemi, a former Minister of State for Works, Dayo Adeyeye; Sen. Bode Ola and Senator Tony Adeniyi.
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Chief Dipo Anisulowo.
People wept uncontrollably as the remains of the late Ojo were interred. The presiding cleric, Rev.Olanrewaju Komolafe, while speaking at the funeral service, described death as an inevitable occurrence.
Noting everything in life has its time, the cleric added that Ojo, though died when least expected, had fulfilled the purpose of life.
Speaking at the funeral service, Olanrewaju Komolafe, described death as an inevitable end.
Komolafe said though Ojo died when it was least expected, he had fulfilled his purpose in life.
He condoled with family members, relatives, political parties and acquaintances present at the event and urged them to live a life worthy of emulation like the late Ojo did.
While the church service was on, scores of female sympathisers walked round the premises of the church hurling curses at Ojo’s killers.
The sympathisers intermittently disrupted the church service with songs laced with abuses and curses while they turned their clothes inside out and also removed their headgears to register their agony.
Other dignitaries at the funeral service included the wife of the deputy governor-elect, Bisi Egbeyemi, wife of Oni, Kemi, and a former deputy governor in the state, Sikiru Lawal.
According to Punch, the APC in Ekiti State had challenged security agencies to fish out his killers, and prosecute them.
Ojo, a former Personal Assistant to ex-governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni, was shot dead by unknown assailants at a football viewing centre around Ajitadidun area in Ado Ekiti on Friday night.
The deceased had gone to watch an English Premier league match between Manchester United and Leicester on Friday night with some of his friends.
Shortly after settling down to watch the match, eyewitnesses said that six gun-wielding men invaded the centre and shot him in the head and stomach at close range.
His remains were deposited at the morgue of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti.
The Publicity Secretary of the APC, Taiwo Olatunbosun, in a statement rued the untimely death of the APC chieftain, describing it as “a brutish end to a blossoming life and career.”
Describing Ojo as a personal friend and an amiable personality who would not hurt anyone, Olatunbosun said his death was a personal loss to him and everyone who was close to the deceased.
“Those who knew Bunmi (Ojo) cannot but like him, he was an easy-going and upright politician who cultivated friendship in both high and low places, which endeared him to many people.
According to him, his death could not be far from the political machinations of “a devilish politician” in the state.
“We will not rest until the assailants are fished out. This is a test of efficiency for the police and other security operatives,” Olatunbosun added.
Another member of the APC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Ojo’s death might not be unconnected with his ambition to contest the Ekiti North Federal Constituency II in the House of Representatives.
The Federal Constituency is comprised of Ido/Osi, Ilejemeje and Moba Local Governments.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Ekiti, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, could not be reached for comments.
Several calls to his phone by Punch correspondent were not picked.
However, the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, condemned Ojo’s murder, calling on security agencies to arrest and prosecute the killers.
Fayose, in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, condoled with the families, friends and political associates of the deceased, praying that God would console and uphold the wife and children.
“The manner in which Bunmi Ojo, a commissioner in the Federal Character Commission and strong ally of Chief Segun Oni was killed is a demonstration of the extent some devilish people can go to settle scores with their fellow men and the security agencies must not add this gruesome murder to the diary of unresolved murders in Nigeria.
“On the part of the state government, all necessary assistance will be provided for the security agencies to aide thorough investigations of the murder and arrest of the perpetrators,” the statement said.
The governor, who called for vigilance among residents of the state, lamented that the peace enjoyed in the state since he assumed office on October 16, 2014 had been shattered since May, claiming the APC returned with its do-or-die politics.
Also, the Media Office of Ekiti State Governor-Elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has commiserated with the family of the late Ojo.
A statement by the Director of Media and Publicity, Wole Olujobi, expressed shock and sadness over Ojo’s murder, describing it as a sad commentary that shattered the relative peace the state had been enjoying after the July 14 governorship poll.
While commiserating with the family of the late politician, Fayemi charged security agencies to live up to their responsibility to get to the root of the killing and bring perpetrators to justice.
He said, “This is a sad development that should not be allowed to go away without getting to the root of this killing, but then the public must give security agencies a chance to do their job to get to the root of this sad development.
“Security agencies are enjoined to swing into action to apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime to check the activities of criminals in Ekiti State.”
As reported by The Sun, the APC and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Ekiti State, traded blames over the tragic murder of Ojo.
While the Ekiti State Government condemned the murder and charged police and other security agencies to fish out his killers and bring them to justice, it also exchanged verbal invectives with the APC which had accused its government of creating an atmosphere of insecurity, lamenting that the peace enjoyed in the state since Governor Ayodele Fayose assumed office on October 16, 2014 had been shattered since May this year when the APC returned with its alleged do-or-die politics.
The APC, in a statement by state Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, had said of PDP, “..The present government would certainly be made to account for all its atrocities, and brought to book for creating an atmosphere of bloodletting in a hitherto peaceful environment.
“Let it be known that the present state government is not free from all the insecurities pervading our state and will be held responsible as the mastermind. We deserve an explanation as to why Bunmi Ojo should be killed without provoking anyone.”
Replying the APC in a statement by the Special Assistant to the State Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the PDP led government siad: “The State was peaceful until May 5, 2018 when members of the APC openly disrupted the party’s primary election with gunshots.
“This was after Olalekan Taiwo, aide of one of the APC governorship aspirant, Dr. Oluwole Oluleye had been shot on May 4.
“The violence at the APC primaries was followed up by the shootings at the party secretariat during a reception organized for Dr. Kayode Fayemi, which left Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele and six others injured as well as invasion of the State with thugs during the July 14 governorship election.
“It has therefore become necessary for Ekiti people to be vigilant especially now that the political environment is expected to be confronted with the case filed by Chief Segun Oni against Dr. Fayemi, challenging his eligibility to contest the APC primary as well as the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola at the Tribunal.
“The manner in which Bunmi Ojo, a commissioner in the Federal Character Commission and strong ally of Chief Segun Oni was killed is a demonstration of the extent some devilish people can go to settle scores with their fellow men and the security agencies must not add this gruesome murder to the diary of unresolved murders in Nigeria.
Assuring that on the part of the State Government, all necessary assistance will be provided for the security agencies to aide thorough investigation of the murder and arrest of the perpetrators,” the government condoled with the family of the deceased.
Also, commiserating with the bereaved family of late Ojo, APC called on the federal government not to neglect Ekiti State at this dark moment when the ruling party was still in pain over its loss at the 14 July poll and threatening to have its pound of flesh on innocent citizens by taking away peace from the land.
Punch/Vanguard/CableNews/The Sun
