From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Families of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Olalekan Abideen and Kafayat Olalekan who were killed over the largesse of election in Ede, Osun State, have cried for justice.
They accused the minority leader of the state house of assembly, Hon Kofoworola Babajide and a leader of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of being behind the killings.
Narrating the story, the younger sister of the deceased, Rukayat Olalekan, alleged that the lawmaker and the police led the team of police officers that shot and killed the two members of their family ‘over an argument that had been resolved and laid to rest.’
She said, “except our younger brother, Olalekan Tunde who is a supporter of the APC, every other member of the family are PDP loyalist.
“The whole thing started when we argued at our ward meeting last Friday over the leftover money that was supposed to be given to each polling unit in form of appreciation to the PDP members that worked for the victory of the party in the last governorship election.
“We were asked to collect N250,000 each from the sitting lawmaker that represents Ede-North State Constituency, Hon. Nurudeen Kofoworola Babajide but we were told that he (the lawmaker) said he had spent the money. This generated mixed reactions to the extent that everybody in the meeting angrily departed.
“After that, we were invited by the party’s elders to forget about it which we obliged. But at the meeting, there was a young guy that insulted our mummy which we rebuked and later, a team of officers came from the Divisional Headquarters to intervene and the matter was settled amicably.
“But 30 minutes after, a team of police officers accompanied by the lawmaker, stormed our compound and started shooting sporadically into the air in a bid to arrest. They later asked me to follow them to the station, an order that I obliged immediately.
“But fortunately, my brother, Abideen who was later shot and killed was just returning from work, and he blocked the front that they must explain why I needed to follow them. In the process, one of the officers, Omoyele shot at him and he fell immediately and was taken away.
“Though at that time, nobody knew if he had died or not, and that raised fears in us calling the lawmaker that led them to know where they took his body to but he (the lawmaker) didn’t pick calls.
Also, Tunde Olalekan said, “I am a member of APC but other families are PDP and we never fight over this. I can say it categorically that the lawmaker and Omoyele killed two members of my family.”
The elder sister of the deceased, Yetunde Olalekan appealed to the state government and other concerned authorities to come to the aid of the family saying “no one is saved.”