- Police suspect insiders behind murder
The remains of the late Director of Finance and Administration in Ogun State, Taiwo Oyekanmi, have been laid to rest in his hometown of Ifonyintedo in the Ipokia Local Government Area of the state.
Oyekanmi was shot dead on Wednesday while on official duty on the Kuto flyover in Abeokuta by armed robbers who attacked him on his way to the Governor’s Office while conveying a cash sum of about N112 million carted away by the robbers.
Earlier in the day, Governor Dapo Abiodun paid a condolence visit to the family of the deceased at his Abeokuta home.
Abiodun, during the visit, promised that the state government would take full responsibility for the family left behind by Oyekanmi.
He also assured the family and the people of the state that the perpetrators behind the killing would be caught and brought to justice.
An emotional Governor, Abiodun, described the deceased as diligent, hardworking, honest, and God-fearing.
He said that the Governor’s Office and the entire state workforce have been devastated by the killing, assuring that everything possible will be done to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“How could we imagine yesterday morning that we would be here this morning condoling with this family?
“We are all heavily burdened; the pain is not describable. He has been asking us questions since yesterday afternoon.
“Taiwo was very hardworking, very dedicated, diligent, honest, unassuming, a man who loved God, who served God, and very humble. He was very conscious.
“Let me assure you that we will do everything within my power to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to book.
“I will not leave any stone unturned until these criminals are arrested and dealt with; that much I also promise.
“I want to assure the members of his family, particularly his wife and children that we will not leave you.
“We will take full responsibility for your welfare and your wellbeing,” Governor Abiodun said.
He noted that the death of Oyekanmi was a painful reminder that life is a journey, adding that the deceased lived a life of impact, touched everybody, and was well respected by everyone.
Family demands justice
Meanwhile, the family members of Oyekanmi have demanded justice over the untimely death of their loved one.
The family members made this known on Thursday when the governor paid them a condolence visit.
Responding on behalf of the family of the deceased, his younger brother, Tayo Oyekanmi, thanked the Governor for the visit, even as he said destiny has been shattered and dreams cut short, not only for the family but for the entire Ifonyintedo community in the Ipokia Local Government Area of the state.
He urged the governor to unravel the people behind the killing in no distant time to assuage the pains of the family.
Abiodun directed that the national flag be flown at half-mast and declared one week of mourning in honour of the deceased.
Police suspect insiders behind murder
Also, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said those behind Wednesday’s murder of Oyekanmi are in-house.
In a telephone interview late Wednesday, Alamutu alleged that the robbery and murder were premeditated, wondering how the armed robbers were fully armed with a sledgehammer to break into the bullion van.
According to him, the gunmen must have been well-informed by an insider that the deceased was heading for the bank to make withdrawals.
“From the information we have, it is obvious that it was premeditated. It was an in-house (thing). We have this feeling because, how did they know that they would need a hammer to break the receptacle?
“And they must have been lurking around the bank area, waiting for the man or he must have been trailed to that area and they must have had information that he was going to take a large amount of money from the bank. So, we are working on it.
“They (the armed robbers) came in a Toyota Corolla with a registration number yet unknown. They are about five, putting on hoods to conceal their identity. By God’s grace, we will do everything possible to ensure we get at them,” Alamutu disclosed.
Oyekanmi was said to have visited a branch of Fidelity Bank in Oke-Ilewo on Wednesday afternoon to withdraw a cash sum of N97.335m, and N15m from Sterling Bank, also in Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta.
On the Kuto flyover, the bullion van conveying the N112.335 million was reportedly accosted by the robbers and broken with a sledgehammer brought out of their Toyota vehicle.
Aside from Oyekanmi, the van had as its occupants, the driver identified as Lekan Akintoye and one other man named Peter Samson, but only Oyekanmi was identified and shot dead with an AK-47 rifle among the three.
The police boss confirmed that the bullion van was without any police escort at the time of the incident.
The attached mobile police officer, Inspector Rasheed Adegbite, who was supposed to be with the homemade bullion van was said to have travelled to Igbo-Ora in Oyo State on Tuesday without permission.
He has since been arrested for investigation, a viral police signal from the Ibara Police Divisional Headquarters said.
Meanwhile, reactions have begun to trail the circumstances surrounding the killing of the finance director.
A legal practitioner and Senatorial candidate in Ogun West, Femi Aina, described the death of Oyekanmi as avoidable if the state government had ensured he went out with a police escort.
Aina, who queried the rationale behind the transportation of such a huge amount of money without a police escort, said the state commissioner of finance should by now be reconsidering his position.
He asked the family of the slain Oyekanmi to, if possible, consult a lawyer because all employers owe their employees a duty not to put them in harm’s way.
“Sending someone to the bank to go and collect over N100 million without a police escort is not good enough. Why can’t they call the police headquarters for a replacement, as part of the risk management? Maybe this guy will be here by now. Now their inaction has led to the death of someone’s father, uncle or even son.
“He was sent on what could be called a ‘killer errand,’ telling him to go and withdraw such an amount of money without police escort. And what are they even doing with such cash?” he asked
Aina added that “the Commissioner for Finance in Ogun State should reconsider his position.”
While commiserating with the family of the deceased, the National Secretary, New Nigeria People’s Party, Olaposi Oginni, said, “It is obvious that something is wrong with the security architecture of Ogun State, most especially the police.”
Oginni described the attack as “a serious indictment” on the Ogun State Police Command, calling for “the immediate change of the leadership of the Ogun State security agencies to send signals and for the quick arrest of the security collapse of the state.”
He maintained that a broad day attack on the state’s bullion van a few meters to the Governor’s office is “unacceptable.”
