Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The governorship and House of Assembly elections has recorded casualities as a serving lawmaker in the House of Representatives, Hon. Temitope Olatoye (a.k.a. Sugar), died on Saturday evening at the Intensive Care Unit of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, following bullet wounds he suffered in the head by suspected political thugs in Lalupon area, in Ibadan city, Oyo state.
Also, a boy said to be supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party, was shot by a police officer and eventually died.
The news of the attack on the lawmaker spread within minutes, with some insinuating that he was dead immediately, because of the magnitude of the gun shot wounds.
He was hurriedly wrapped from the attack spot by supporters and taken to the Accident and Emergency ward of the University College Hospital where doctors on duty moments after, moved him to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital.
The UCH public relations officer, Mr. Toye Akinrinlola, while speaking on the development, said the lawmaker was moved to the the intensive care, where doctors were battling to save his life.
THISDAY however gathered that he eventually gave up the ghost around 7:45pm.
A close aide of the lawmaker (names withheld), accused some suspected political thugs of a rival politician in the constituency of being responsible for the attack.
Olatoye, who won the 2015 election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, lost reelection two weeks ago under the platform of the Action Democratic Party and vowed never to return to the APC, notwithstanding the overtures reportedly made to him by a former governor of the state, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, to join him in aligning with the APC candidate, Chief Adebayo Adelabu.
Before his death, he was representing Lagelu/Akinyele federal constituency. Olatoye had in 2011 won an election into the state House of Assembly on the platform of the Accord before he later defected to the then Action Congress of Nigeria.
He was said to be coming from his village where he had gone to exercise his franchise, when the assailant ambushed him.
Two hours earlier, a supporter of the PDP, simply identified as Mudasiru, was shot dead by a police officer in Ile titun area of Ibadan South East local government area.
THISDAY learnt that Mudasiru, in his late 20s, was said to be jubilating over the victory of his party, when a trigger happy officer fired shot which hit the poor boy from the back and ruptured his intestine.
Eyewitness at the scene said he was quickly rushed to Chief Kehinde Ege’s house in Ita Ege, for extraction of the bullets, stating that Ege was almost getting the bullet out but that the boy gave up the ghost having lost too much blood.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Lawrence Fadeyi, who confirmed both incidents begged for more time, within which the police, would make its comprehensive findings available.
He said, “Yes, both incidents are true but kindly give us more time, to come up with a detailed analysis of what really happened.”
