Crises By Instalments In Ekiti: Soldiers Take Over State Capital

A detachment of Mobile Security men in front of the Federal High Court/Fajuyi Park, Ado-Ekiti...yesterday

Soldiers yesterday took over the streets of Ado-Ekiti to restore order after 24 hours of arson and bloodletting by thugs, The Nation reports.

The soldiers patrolled the state capital to ensure there was no repeat of the Thursday night murder of a former chairman of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state, Chief Omolafe Aderiye, and the Friday burning of Governor Kayode Fayemi Campaign Secretariat and some vehicle in the premises by thugs.

Twice, earlier in the week, hoodlums had attacked perceived political opponents of the Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, within the premises of the State High Court, Ado Ekiti after Justice Isaac Ogunyemi assumed jurisdictional power to hear and try Fayose in a case instituted by E-11, a socio-political group based in the state, over his eligibility to contest for the June 21 governorship election.

Justice Ogunyemi had dismissed the application by counsel to the Governor-elect which challenged the court’s competence to try the case.

The PDP accused Governor Fayemi and his party, APC, of masterminding Aderiye’s murder.

The former NURTW leader was allegedly shot at close range while relaxing with friends and associates about 8:30pm at his office at Ijigbo area of Ado-Ekiti, by men dressed in mobile police uniform.

The assailants sped off in a white car as soon as they accomplished their mission.

As the day broke on Friday, hoodlums attacked the governor’s campaign office and set it and some vehicles parked therein ablaze.

Fayemi went on air and imposed a curfew with a view to stemming the violence.

He blamed the Governor-elect, Ayo Fayose, and the PDP for instigating the arson, and the police for not intervening.

“I am advised incontrovertibly that thugs acting on the command of Mr. Ayo Fayose, who was also present to lend his clout to the travesty, brazenly assaulted a senior judge and urged his thugs to beat him up and tear his clothes,” Gov. Fayemi said, adding that the thugs whose action exceeded the limits of acceptable behaviour, carried out their scandalous attacks in the “full glare of law enforcement agents”.

According to him, the failure of the security agents to deal appropriately with the court invasions emboldened them to unleash terror later in the week.

However, the soldiers deployed yesterday went round in trucks.

Many shops in the town remained shut over fear of fresh trouble.

The state Police Command said it has arrested some suspects in connection with the court invasion.

But no arrest has yet been made in connection with the assassination of Aderiye.

The command, in a statement said the Police Commissioner, Taiwo Lakanu, personally “led a section of mobile and conventional policemen out all night and was able to forestall the breakdown of law and order generated by the killing.”

It  enjoined the people to comply with the dust to dawn curfew order made by the governor  and warned that “any person or group of persons found flouting the order or breaking the law will be adequately dealt with in accordance with the law.”

Meanwhile, the Ekiti State PDP yesterday described the Friday broadcast by Governor Fayemi as a further demonstration of his insensitivity.

The party wondered why the governor would address the state without making reference to the murdered Aderiye or sympathizing with his family.

The governor visited the bereaved family on Friday.

It said: “Instead of showing concern for the soul already lost, Fayemi’s concern was ‘Court Cases’ with which he intends to remain in power despite that Ekiti people rejected him totally on June 21, 2014. This is the height of wickedness!”

It dismissed as an aberration his directive to the state Attorney General to issue a legal advisory to the Chief Judge of the state and all the parties to the existing cases in the State High Court and the Ekiti State Governorship Elections Petitions Tribunal, on the desirability of seeking an alternative venue for the hearing of these cases outside the state.

“Obviously, Fayemi has lost it all. The governor has allowed himself to be taken over by desperation to remain in power such that he could not understand that what he asked the Attorney-General to do simply amount to interfering in the workings of the judiciary, a separate arm of government,” the PDP said.