Murder: Police quiz Ekiti ACN chairman. How I escaped death - Victim

THE killing of a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Erinjiyan community in Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti State allegedly by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) thugs has taken a new dimension, as the police in the state have quizzed the chairman of ACN in the state, Chief Olajide Awe.

This is following the confirmation by the state Police Commissioner, Mr Sotonye Wakama, on Sunday, that two persons had been arrested in connection with the incident.

According to the spokesperson of the Ekiti police command, Mr Victor Babayemi, who spoke on the matter via the telephone, Awe was summoned by the police to explain his alleged involvement in the murder of the PDP member.

He said: “Mr Jide Awe was invited for fact-finding in respect of the killing in Erinjiyan Ekiti at the weekend.”

In a related development, a victim of the incident, Mr Segun Adewumi, who narrated his ordeal to newsmen in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday, amid tears said they were attacked at about 10:30p.m on Saturday, while they were at a meeting with Senator Clement Awoyelu, in the community.

Adewumi, who led the ACN members in the community, including the slain Ayo Jeje, to the PDP said he came within the whiskers of death, said 18 bullets were extracted from his mother, Chief Juliana Adewumi, while 10 bullets were extracted from his elder brother, Chief Gbenga Adewumi at the hospital where they were receiving treatment.

On the denial of his membership of the ACN by Chief Awe, Adewumi said: “Awe is uncharitably denying my membership of the ACN, but he knows me and my antecedents, even in the entire Ekiti West Local Government Area.”

According to him, his leaving the ACN to the PDP was borne out of a call by the youth of the area, who he alleged were not happy with the ACN chairman for not helping them.

Earlier at a press conference, the Ekiti PDP chairman, Mr Makanjuola Ogundipe, commended the Wakama over the arrest of two persons in connection with the murder of Jeje, but described as “diversionary and criminal,” the statement credited to Awe that the murder was caused by internal crisis in the PDP.

Ogundipe said it was “unfortunate for the ACN chairman to have denied the killing, even when the victims could recognise him vividly among the hoodlums who attacked the community, leading to the killing of one person and many others injured.”

The Ekiti PDP boss alleged that Awe led some members of his party and thugs and invaded the town in an attempt to disrupt the defection of over 1,000 ACN members to the PDP.

Ayo Jeje, a member of PDP was killed in Erinjiyan Ekiti, Awe’s community, where he is a high chief, on Saturday night, while he and others were preparing to defect to the PDP from the ACN.
Tribune