20th June, 2015
Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
Mr Oluyemi Oyebade, the first son of the late Oluwo of Ikanna in Abeokuta, Chief Moses Alabi Oyebade, who was assassinated by unknown gunmen on Wednesday has called on the police to arrest and investigate his father’s neighbours, accusing them of allegedly conniving with the assailants.
The Egba High Chief was murdered in his home located at Ikanna compound in Ago-Oba area of Abeokuta South Local government area of Ogun State.
The victim was said to have been shot several times by his assailants while sleeping at about 12:00 midnight on Wednesday.
Our correspondent gathered that the deceased, Chief Moses Alabi Oyebade had celebrated his 75th birthday in Lagos two weeks ago.
Reports gathered by our correspondent revealed that he was the only occupant in his house as at the time of the incident and the gunmen were said to have broken the sliding glass window of his room and shot him at close range several times.
Speaking with our correspondent, the deceased’s son, Oluyemi Oyebade said he got the sad news via a phone call from one of his uncles in the early hours of Wednesday, but was dumbfounded until he saw his dead father.
The son, who resides in Benin, Edo state, said he had earlier been informed of some unknown persons who had been trailing his late father, noting that, this was the reason why his father was shot through the window.
“My father was sleeping in his bedroom. The bed is close to the window. As the glass was broken, he woke up to see what was happening. He took his torch to see who was there. That was how he was shot. The first gunshot was to his hand, we guess he was still struggling when they shot him again. I guess they shot him three times.
Photo: Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
“The funniest part of it was that when that incident occurred at that time, nobody came to his rescue. If you look at that room, the blood on the floor was more than what you see in an abattoir. It means he struggled to death while the neighbours were quiet. They could not assist him, they pretended as if they did not know what happened.
“That is my pain. How can you be living in an environment where you call yourselves neighbours and none of you could even come out to assist? It is just unfortunate. If I have my way, I think everybody in this neighbourhood should be arrested and investigated.
“Can these people who are very close say they didn’t know something happened here? I am beginning to suspect that there are connivers within the neighbourhood,” he posited.
It was learnt that other Chiefs in Ikanna had reported the case at the Ibara Police Station.
The police then went to the house where they forcefully opened the door to carry the remains of the deceased. He was then deposited at the mortuary.
When our correspondent contacted the Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO, Ogun State Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, he confirmed the incident and disclosed that a note was recovered on the corpse, hich was written by the assailants.
“We have examined the place and recovered an assassination note which contained a message written in both English and Yoruba languages.
“The content read: “useless man, Oni dokudo (promiscuous). In our preliminary investigation, it could be a case of assassination but we will invite some people for interrogation.
“The State Police Commissioner, CP Valentine Ntomchukwu has directed that the case be transferred to the Department of Criminal Investigation.
“The perpetrators would not go scot -free,” the Commissioner of Police assured as he sympathized with the family, even, the Kabiyesi, the Alake of Egbaland.