Toyin Hamzat, Ex- Fashola Adviser Assassinated

Toyin Amzat

Toyin Amzat

The former Chairman of Ikeja Local Government, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, and ex Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Health during his first term in office,Toyin Hamzat, has been assassinated by unknown gunmen.

Toyin Amzat

He was reportedly shot in the head at Sabo, Sagamu, Ogun State, southwest Nigeria, at about 9p.m. on Sunday. He was said to have left Sagamu Town Club where he went for a meeting and was heading for his country home when he met his fate. The killers, it was learnt, blocked his car wiith an Ogun painted taxi. They emerged and shot him at point blank. They reportedly left the scene without taking his car.

His nephew who was in the car with him when the incident occurred, told P.M. NEWS that his remains had been taken to Ijebu Aiyepe, Odogbolu Local Government, for burial this afternoon, according to Islamic rites.

He said they were on their way to his country home, where the former chairman did his housewarming on October 1 when they were ambushed by the gunmen.

A politician who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that they were together at Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola’s 2000 days in office, held at LTV 8, Ikeja and Chief Kamoru Danjuma’s colourful party held in Abeokuta, yesterday.

He added that they were preparing for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s chieftaincy ceremony in Abeokuta today before the incident occurred.

Also confirming Hamzat’s death, Keye Abiodun Banjo, Secretary of Bobakeye age group of Ijebu-land of which the deceased was a member, told P.M.NEWS that he received a call last night informing him that Toyin was dead.

“I received a call last night from someone that Toyin was killed in Shagamu around 9.30 p.m. He was a member of Bobakeye of which I am the scribe of the group. He will be buried today in Aiyepe in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State. He was not at the meeting we held last week but he sent his apologies. We will all miss him. May his soul rest in peace,” he said.

Reacting to the gruesome murder, a member of the House of Representatives for Ikeja Federal Constituency, James Abiodun Faleke, said he was devastated by the news.

According to him, it is another sad development in the country’s democracy.

Faleke called for a thorough investigation into the sad incident.

A Lagos lawmaker, representing Lagos Island 2, Wahab Alawiye-King, also called for an indepth investigation into the killing. According to him, it is another sad incident in Nigeria’s democracy.

“It is unfortunate and sad that this is happening and it is very disturbing,” he said

The Chairman of Odiolowo/Ojuwoye LCDA, Adeyemi Alli, described the news as a sad one and called on the police to find the culprits and bring them to book.

Fashola with the family Hamzat left behind
Another of his associates, Dr. Bode Tawak described him as lively man: “He enjoyed himself, lived his life to the fullest. Like every human being, he had his positive and negative. As he himself used to say life is zero life.”

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Reacting to the death of his former aide, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, described his death as unfortunate, shocking and heart rending.

He further described Hamzat’s death as a personal loss to him, Lagos State and the entire Southwest family of the Action Congress of Nigeria.

The governor condoled with the Hamzat’s family and the Ogun State Government.

In his own comment, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu described the death of Toyin Amzat as sad. “I received the shocking and sad news of the death of one of our most illustrious sons and progressively minded politician, Mr. Toyin Hamzat.  It is an irreparable lost not just to the family and my heart goes out to them but also to our party, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and the people of Ogun and Lagos states.

“The insecurity on our roads  in our homes and offices is appalling. Our lives are not secured. Our homes and offices are not safe. Toyin Hamzat’s death like many that occur daily in similar circumstances must serve to reawaken our leaders and security agencies to be more alive to the challenges of security of lives and properties.  Government on its part must step up action on enforcing security,” he stated.

Tinubu again described Amzat’s death as “numbing and painful and prays that such tragic deaths will not occurred again. Toyin was a reliable hands and a trusted ambassador of our party faithful in his assignments.”

But reacting to the killing of Hamzat, police spokesman in Ogun State, ASP Muyiwa Adejobi, described the killing as a case of assassination as nothing was taken away from the car.

“Truly, the man was killed yesterday. It was a case of assassination. Noting was taken away from him. He was shot in front of his woman’s friend house. Five suspects have been arrested and they are in our custody at the state police headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta,” he stated.

The five suspects are the deceased’s woman friend, her husband and three taxi drivers. The woman’s husband was alleged to have masterminded the killing.

It was gathered that the woman’s husband and the late Toyin Hamzat once met at the woman’s residence at Sagamu where they engaged in a brawl.

PMNEWS also gathered that one the taxis impounded has been identified as the one used  during the operation. A police source also confirmed the arrest of the man who allegedly fired the shot that killed Hamzat.

Hamzat, a Pharmacist, was a pioneer member of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, Action Congress, AC and Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.

He was the Chairman of Ikeja Local Government between 1999 and 2002 and later became a Special Adviser on Local Government Affairs to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He was born 1 October, 1960. He attended Adeola Odutola College Ijebu Ode for his ‘A’ Level and the University of Lagos, Idi Araba, for his Pharmacy degree.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga, Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta & Jamiu Yisa

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