18th July, 2015
Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
A local government chairman aspirant, Ekundayo Olusola escaped assassination by whisker as gunmen stormed his residence at the wee hours of Friday in search of him.
Olusola, who is the incumbent vice chairman of Abeokuta South local government council is among those eyeing the chairmanship seat in the next local government election.
An eyewitness told our correspondent that the gunmen stormed his residence asking for him but were told that he was not around. They then pounced on his wife and kids. They them and could have possibly killed them if not for the quick intervention of neighbours,” the eyewitness said.
The incident occurred at Olusola’s residence located at Ekundayo compound, Obantoko area of Abeokuta in Ogun state.
Speaking to our correspondent on her hospital bed, Mrs.Olusola Adijat Ekundayo disclosed that they were attacked by six men who were requesting for the whereabout of her husband.
“A gang of six men invaded our house around 2:30 am and threatened to kill me and my three children if I did not tell them where my husband was.
“They also threatened that if he went ahead with his chairmanship ambition, he will lose his life and that of his household.
“My children, Shallom, Temitope and Oluwatomisin were seriously beaten. They used sharp objects to hit them all and they lost their consciousness and were rushed to the hospital.
“These people were masked so I cannot identify anyone of them. They were fully armed as they came with dangerous weapons like guns, iron rod, acid and matchete.
“They did not steal anything in the house, they vandalized my husband car, a Toyota Camry. The boys nearly raped me but I begged them profusely and was crying at the same time. But it was God that saved us from the terror,” she submitted.
She however disclosed that threat messages have been sent to her husband warning him to drop his political ambition of becoming the Chairman of Abeokuta South local government council.
“With the action of these men, I want to say emphatically that what we saw then was just a tip of the iceberg because our life is in danger. They told me categorically that if they see my husband, they will kill him, so that he will not contest for the chairmanship seat,” Mrs Ekundayo disclosed.
Asked if she has reported the matter to the police, the woman who was still wriggling in pains said the local vigilante reported the case to the police while she was taken to the hospital along with her children.
Efforts to get the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi to comment on the matter proved futile as his phone lines were not connecting as at the time of filing this report.
Attempt to reach Mr Ekundayo Olusola on phone was futile as all his mobile lines were off.
But a community security men, who pleaded anonymity informed our correspondent that they traced the assailants but could not find them.