By WOLE BALOGUN, Ado Ekiti

…As AIG, CP meet royal fathers, others
 The police in Ekiti State have announced that 19 people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a former chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state, Chief Omolafe Aderiye.This followed a meeting of the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 8, Mr. Christopher Dega and the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Mr. Taiwo with traditional rulers and other stakeholders in their bid to fully restore peace after the mayhem of last week in the state.

According to the state police command, investigations had commenced on the 19 suspects arrested in connection with the murder. The command hinted that the level of culpability of each of those arrested was being determined in the investigations.

The police said the arrests were made between September 27 and yesterday, adding that a female was among the suspects.

Confirming the arrests, the Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Ekiti State police command, Mr. Victor Babayemi, said: “All the people arrested in connection with Aderiye’s murder are still with us as we are investigating their level of culpability.”

Babayemi said the police would not disclose the identity of those in their custody for now but assured that this would be done at the appropriate time.

In a related development, AIG Dega and CP Lakanu also met with representatives of the traditional rulers in Ekiti yesterday to fashion ways of ensuring lasting peace in their domains and in the state.

It was gathered that eight traditional rulers, including Oba Idowu Adamo Babalola, the Onitaji of Itaji and chairman of Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers; Oba Adebayo Adewole, the Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti; Oba James Adedapo Popoola, Oore of Otun-Ekiti; Oba M. G. Adedeji, Owa Ooye of Okemesi; Oba Olu Adegoke Adeyemi, Alara of Aramoko; Oba Oluwole Ademolaju, the Oloye of Oye kingdom and Oba S. O. Ajiboye, the Onisan of Isan-Ekiti attended the meeting.

The AIG, Christopher Dega, was said to have noted that, “what is happening is giving the state a bad image outside,” stressing that as the custodians of the tradition of the people; the royal fathers should help to ensure that the crisis is soon brought to an end.

The police commissioner was said to have charged the traditional rulers to help sustain peace in the state, pointing out that they had certain degree of influence on their people and should prevail on them to maintain peace. He was said to have stated: “Police is here not because of any one or political party but for the peace of the state.”

A source at the meeting said one of the traditional rulers had noted that the problem was caused by the fact that the people felt that a few people were “trying to scuttle the mandate they had freely given in the last election.”


Source: Sun