Don't Politicise Agboola's Murder - Kwara Govt
Lagos
By Abimbola Akosile
Following the murder of Mr. Michael Agboola, former accountant with Kwara State Primary Education Board (SPEB), and a resultant avalanche of press releases, and advertisements, the State Government has called on all alleged stakeholders to exercise restraint and allow the Police carry out their investigation into the matter.
In a statement issued by the State Commissioner for Information and Home Affairs, Alhaji Abdulraheem Adedoyin, Government claimed the murder of Agboola was not a political party matter, and cannot therefore be settled at a party rally or press briefing.
"Government notes the frenzy of press briefing, releases, and advertisement, first by the so-called Kwara Progressive Movement (KPM), then the All-Nigeria Peoples' Party (ANPP) in Kwara State, following the gruesome murder of Michael Agboola".
"Agboola, a principal witness in the State Government's probe into the activities of SPEB during the administration of Alhaji Muhammed Lawal, was killed. The murder is not a political party matter.
It is a crime under the Nigerian law and there are people whose job is to catch those who commit such crimes," he said.
Adedoyin explained, "for now, the police should be allowed to do their work and ANPP should stop playing politics with the blood of an innocent man. Killing of Agboola is not about ANPP or PDP or APGA or any other political party".
To him, "It is about individuals who masterminded the gruesome murder of an innocent man, whose testimony at the Commission of Enquiry set up to probe the mismanagement of funds at the SPEB between 1999 and 2003 helped in indicting some people for stealing".
"Late Agboola was a loyal servant of Kwara State. Upon his role at the Probe Panel, he was primed as star witness for State in the prosecution that will follow the conclusion of that enquiry in a case of criminal conspiracy, misappropriation and theft of government funds to the tune of N404,224,876.34k. Could this be why he was killed? This is the question we must all wait patiently on the police to provide an answer. It is a question no amount of political dust can silence", the commissioner said.
Alhaji Adejumo also expressed gratitude, on behalf of Agboola family, to President Olusegun Obasanjo for interest shown in the matter, and to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun for his alleged prompt response to his call for a thorough investigation into the act, which has led to the arrest of some suspects.
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