By Victor Ogunje
A Policewoman, Sergeant Bukola Olawoye, who was shot on Saturday during the Ekiti East Constituency 1, Omuo Ekiti, House of Assembly’s by-election, has died.
The Ekiti State Police Commissioner, Mr. Babatunde Mobayo, who broke the news of her passing away, said: “With deepest sorrow, we announce the death of Sergeant Olawoye Bukola, who was shot by a group of thugs that invaded Ward 7, Unit 7, during the recent Ekiti East House of Assembly By- Election.
“She died at about 6 p.m. on Monday being March 22, at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, after battling with her life for days.
“The command sympathises with her family members and prays that God grants her soul eternal rest.”
However, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, has warned the state government not to engage in any form of political interference in the ongoing trial of the suspected political thugs that killed and injured PDP’s members during the poll.
The party commended the police for the prompt arrest of the suspects and promised to work with all concerned authorities to ensure diligent prosecution in order to get justice for the victims of the vicious attacks.
The PDP’s State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Raphael Adeyanju, in a statement that was issued yesterday, said that it would not be appropriate for an All Progressive Congress’ (APC) government to handle the prosecution of the case while all the suspects are well known thugs who were in the company of prominent APC leaders and government functionaries in Omuo Ekiti on that fateful Saturday.
Adeyanju said: “What happened on Saturday is a signal to what to expect in subsequent elections. The APC is populated by violent individuals that don’t believe in free and fair elections. Our party members are, however, enjoined to remain resolute so that we can wrestle power from them. They can no longer impose themselves on the people that have totally rejected them.”
Also, the Convener of the Ajoro Ekiti, Mr. Ariyo-Dare Atoye, has called on spiritual leaders in the state to place a curse on the merchants of death and urged security agencies to fish out their sponsors and accomplices.
Atoye said that the arraignment in court and remand of the three suspects involved in the killings, as well as the public condemnation of the heinous crime would not be enough to deter the perpetrators this act of barbarism.
He said: “Available public information indicates that the accused: Adenijo Olusola, 38 (popularly called Solar), Paul Folorunso, 45, and Adebayo Serifat, 40, are all members of a killer squad, and as such, the police must act with courage and move swiftly to effect the arrest of other members of the gang and dismantle their network.
“Consequently, we call on the security agencies in Ekiti State, especially the police and the DSS, to urgently probe into how Adenjo Olusola, who had stood trial for a similar case since 2015, was freed in 2018, and to also unmask the sponsor of the squad and other accomplices.
“This is a painful awakening to the people of Ekiti State that we also have within us, an axis of evil that must be confronted and defeated, including working to rebuild a society that will make it difficult for evil to thrive.
“This tragic occurrence has cast our dear state in bad light, therefore, the time has come for religious and traditional leaders to join the fight against evil and place a curse on all proponents of killings and merchants of evil.”
