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Ekiti: How I escaped traditional rulers’ killers – Alara of Ara-Ekiti

Published

9 months ago

February 5, 2024

Oba Adebayo Fatoba, the Alara of Ara-Ekiti

Ekiti: How I escaped traditional rulers’ killers – Alara of Ara-Ekiti

Oba Adebayo Fatoba, the Alara of Ara-Ekiti in Ekiti State’s Ikole Local Government Area, has recounted how he almost escaped death at the hands of kidnappers who killed two other traditional rulers he was travelling with last week.

Gunmen ambushed and assassinated Esun Ekiti’s Elesun, Oba Babatunde Ogunsakin, and Imojo’s Onimojo, Oba Olatunde Olusola, on the Irele road as they returned from a security meeting.

Oba Fatoba claimed to have escaped from the intruders.

Alara told reporters that he did not disappear from the scene of the incident, as some people had suspected.

The first-class traditional ruler admitted that though the hail of bullets the kidnappers fired at him did not penetrate his body, he ascribed his escape to the grace of God.

Oba Fatoba said he was returning from a security meeting in the neighbouring town when the armed daredevils stopped their car and pounced on them.

According to him, he and the other two monarchs fought the kidnappers before they were overpowered with their superior firearms.

The traditional ruler described his late colleagues as brave leaders who sacrificed their lives for the peace of their communities, Ekiti State, and Yoruba land.

On how the incident occurred, Oba Fatoba said: “We have about 25 communities in the Ikole-Ekiti and there was a security committee which I am the chairman of and one of the deceased monarchs was the vice chairman.

“There have been repeated attacks by herders on farmers in our areas because we have large forests here. So, when the attack was becoming too frequent on our people, we sought permission from the police to intervene and the permission was granted.

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“So, when we received another report of an attack by the herders where one of our people was killed between Ayebode and Ayedun, we decided to move in. We had visited the community where the incident happened. We were discussing how the late Onimojo, an Associate Professor, was planning to move from the Federal University of Technology in Akure (FUTA) to the Federal University at Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) on Irele road when the herders appeared from nowhere.

“We never knew they are many because about three of them pointed guns at us. We tried to struggle with them but they began to fire at us from different angles. Though the bullets did not enter, but I realised that they were fully armed with sophisticated weapons. We ran from the scene to a checkpoint mounted by our local hunters.

“But seeing the firearms in the hands of the kidnappers, the local hunters couldn’t advance. I even asked one of our local hunters to return fire but his Dane gun could not work. By the time I looked back, I saw my fellow obas in the pool of their blood.

“It was really a very sad experience. My colleague monarchs sacrificed their lives and died for their people. I would admit that the bullets did not penetrate through my body but I did not disappear, as being speculated,” Oba Fatoba said.

Also, one of the suspected killers of the monarchs has been apprehended by security operatives.

Speaking with reporters yesterday at the Ekiti State Police Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, the suspect, identified as Alhaji Babusa Lede, confessed to being among the gunmen that killed the two traditional rulers.

Babusa, who addressed reporters in Yoruba, said: “Five of us were on the road for the operation. I am a herdsman and I have my cows in the bush. The other four threatened to shoot me if I did not join them in the operation.”

“They brought the ammunition and I was going about in the bush with my cows when they said I should join, and I joined them.

“When we were in the bush, we saw the vehicle conveying the three traditional rulers from distance and we jumped on the road.

“We didn’t plan to kill the traditional rulers, but I can’t remember what happened. My friends shot at them and we ran away. They left the bush immediately. They have been kidnapping people for ransom. I joined them once to kidnap and they gave me N5,000 from the money they collected.

“It was when I came to town from to buy garri that I was arrested by security operatives.”

Ekiti: How I escaped traditional rulers’ killers – Alara of Ara-Ekiti

(Nation)

Related Topics:killers traditional rulers

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

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The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

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November 14, 2024

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

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Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

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November 14, 2024

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Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.