Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti
The Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State command, Amba Asuquo, on Friday paraded a four-man gang suspected to be killers of Chief Shola Fatunla and items recovered from the scene of the dastardly act.
Chief Fatunla, 35, who until his death on April 5th was a chief in Onibedo of Ilotin area in Ikole Ekiti, Ikole local government area of Ekiti State, had been accused of snatching Tadeni, wife of one of the suspects identified as Sunday Aernan, the leader of the gang. Sunday had apologised to Chief Fatunla, once he got to know that Chief Fatunla and his wife (Tadeni) were mere family friends. The marriage of Sunday and Tadeni, though, has collapsed, however, was blessed with two kids.
In a press release on Saturday, through the command’s public relations officer, Sunday Abutu, Asuquo described the case as conspiracy to murder, attempted murder and murder. The statement read:
“On April 5th, 2020 about 12:00 hrs, one Sunday Aernan, male, 30 years, an indigene of Benue State but resides in Ikole Ekiti invited one Chief Fatunla Shola, 35 years, of Ikole Ekiti and one Adebo Tadeni, female, 35 years, of Ikole Ekiti to come and help him settle a dispute between himself, Sunday, and an unidentified Igbira man in his farm at Itapaji farm settlement, Ikole Ekiti.
“On arrival at the farm, Sunday Aernan, who had already arranged three of his gang members and informed them of his intention to kill Chief Fatunla Shola, immediately called them out of the bush where they were hiding and waiting for Chief Fatunla. Sunday Aernan then instructed them to apprehend both the chief and Adebo Tadeni, which they did. Both Sunday Aernan and his three accomplices: Jonathan Elijah ‘,m’ 19yrs, Aoufa Sule Obasanjo ‘m’ 24yrs and Moses Iorna, ‘m’, 24yrs bound their feet and hands.
“According to their confessional statements obtained, they tortured the chief with sticks and bottles and thereafter, tied him to a tree. They also took Adebo Tadeni to another location and tied her to a tree.
“Sunday and his accomplices, returned to the chief, set him ablaze and watched him burn to death.
“Thereafter, they returned to where they had earlier tied Adebo Tadeni but did not find her because according to her statement, she was able to use her teeth to untie herself and then ran away.”
The statement also identified items recovered from the scene of the incident to include “sticks, rope, cutlass, four Android phones, one burnt jerrycan, one necklace and beads.”
“The incident was reported in our divisional police station in Ikole Ekiti and our intelligent operatives swung into action immediately. Intelligent information led to the arrest of Sunday Aernan and his three gang members while they were trying to escape out of the state, and they have all made confessional statements to have committed the crime,” it statement added.
The command assured that as soon as investigations were concluded, all the suspects arrested shall be charged to court.
The Commissioner, however, used the opportunity to felicitate with Christians in the state amid the lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic. He reminded all that coronavirus it real, while the fight against the virus is still on.
Asuquo, who advised residents to obey the directives of government and recommendations of health professionals, urged the citizens in the state to be security-conscious and report persons of questionable character and ugly incidents observed in their environment.