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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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Ekiti council chief escapes murder, moves to Abuja
TROUBLE came in through the ceiling, right into his bedroom. And for the Chairman of Ado-Ekiti Local Council, Mr. Taye Fasuba, a Saturday night of video games with his wife took a decidedly nightmarish turn.
He spent the rest of the night away from the comfort of his home in the bush.
Trouble had started when two hefty strangers dropped from the ceiling of the council chairman's innermost chamber at about 9.30 p.m.
Minutes earlier, Fasuba's wife, Bukola, had interrupted a "video game" with her husband to attend to the men she had mistaken for Fasuba's supporters on a solidarity visit.
But the "supporters" proved to be a decoy of a sorts.
However, the assailants, by Fasuba's own account, got more than they bargained for. Instead of a flabby, perhaps pot-bellied, hepless council chairman, the suspected assassins met a stiff resistance.
He then made good his escape at the first opportunity.
A fusillade of bullets accompanied him as he powered through the window into the nearest bush to his residence.
When the gunsmoke cleared, something lay sprawled in thick blood...
It was one of the assailants - later identified as a member of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC). Though taken to hospital he never made it.
It was a hunter, who later discovered the chairman and led him to the palace of Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe.
At the palace, the royal father was said to have contacted the state police command for necessary protection. When the traditional ruler found out that the state police boss was not responding to his demand, he immediately got in touch with the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, who directed the Ondo State Police boss to mobilise his men for protection of lives and property in the state.
The policemen from Ondo State arrived Ado-Ekiti at about 2.00a.m. before policemen from the state police command got to the palace of Ewi.
The residents of the state capital who had mobilised for a showdown with the perceived political opponents of Fasuba were, however, persuaded by the royal father to allow the police to do their job, by maintaining peace.
Fasuba linked his attack to the politics going on in the state, saying it could be likened to last year's attack on a former governorship aspirant, Mr. Sikiru Babalola who had his property destroyed before the last council elections.
To further protect Fasuba, President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who was informed of the development has directed the Ondo State Police boss to bring Fasuba to Abuja for adequate protection.
The policemen from Ondo State are still patrolling the state capital, while two are guarding the house of Fasuba located on Ikere Road.
At about 8.55 a.m. yesterday, Fasuba in company of Ondo State deputy commissioner of police, Mr. Ebenezer Owoyeye left for Abuja in a Pegueot 504 saloon car.
At Fasuba's house, about 10 cars packed in the compound were badly damaged by the suspected assassins. They include his official sports utility van marked LG 01 ADK, a Rodo Isuzu four wheel drive, Hyunda LS, Audi 90, Toyota Tarcel and a Mercedes Benz V-boot car.
In the town yesterday, residents gathered in groups to discuss the attack on the Ado-Ekiti council boss, who had always been linked with one problem or the other with the Governor since he assumed office.
Only last week, he was standing trial at the state House of Assembly where he was accused of collaborating with the enemies of the governor.
He was accused of refusing to defend the governor at a reception hosted in his honour in Lagos. But Fasuba defended himself against the allegation to forestall his suspension by the governor.
Meanwhile, the state government has dissociated itself from the attack on Fasuba, saying the attack was the handiwork of enemies of the state.
"We see this attack as an external aggression to give the state a bad name and we promise that we will get to the root of the matter.
"We reiterate that the unity and security of lives and properties in our state is of paramount importance to this administration," the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Abiodun Aluko said in a statement yesterday.
The chief press secretary to the governor, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, said the state governor has no hand in the attack on Fasuba and promised that the assailants would be found and made to face the wrath of the law.
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