Kanyi Okeke
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, southsouth Nigeria, was on Friday moved to tears while reacting to the killing of his Principal personal Secretary, Olaitan Oyerinde.
He was assassinated by a yet to be identified gunmen at his private residence located at 65, 2nd Ugbor Road, GRA, Benin City.
Comrade Oshiomhole, who flew in from Abuja Friday afternoon, walked with thousands of supporters and sympathisers all the way from the Airport, through Ring Road and Reservation Road to the Government House where he wailed, “they have killed my son, they have killed my son.
“Last week, they succeed in killing three journalists. Last night, they killed Olaitan. Let me be clear they cannot kill my fighting spirit. We submitted a petition to the Commissioner of Police in which we informed him of the meetings held at the residence of the godfather where they took a critical evaluation of the forthcoming election and they agreed it is impossible for them to win,” Oshiomhole said.
He further alleged that the opposition also resolved at the meeting to intimidate his person and if possible, eliminate him.
“At that meeting, they said they will kill under the guise of armed robbery, many of my personal staff and key leaders to pretend as if they are victims of kidnapping. I was also informed that they resolved that weeks before the election, they will detonate bombs in parts of the state in order scare people away from going to vote.
“What is our crime? Our crime is that we have mobilised our people, we have deployed public resources for the public good and the godfather is angry. We have no apology for the stand we have taken and we will not slow down. The blood of this young men will fire me on to fight and defeat the godfather. There is no going back.
“They have killed my son. They have killed my brother, they have killed my people but they cannot kill my spirit. I ask you the police if they do not find the killers, if they do not do proper investigation on the killing of those journalists and of Olaitan last night, as the Governor of Edo State, I will convert the leadership of my people to find a solution to security. They must not fight like cowards. They should stand.
“Last night like cowards, they shot Olaitan in the chest, head and belly to make sure he never survives. Why will a man in his eighties seat over the death of young children? Why will an old man who has children and grand children supervise the killings of young people?” Oshiomhole asked.
The Governor said the murder of Olaitan will not stop the flag-off of his re-election campaign slated for Saturday as was the case last Saturday when the campaign flag-off was postponed after the accident that involved his convoy claimed the lives of three journalists.
Meanwhile, The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Edo State branch has condemned in very strong terms the gruesome assassination Oyerinde.
A press statement issued and signed by the State Chairman of NMA, Dr. Philip Ugbodaga, described the killing of the governor’s aide in the early hours of Friday as “wicked ungodly, reprehensible, and condemnable. We are sad at this incident as this accentuates the worsening security situation in Edo state and in the country.”
The NMA Chairman called on the security agencies to do all that is necessary to apprehend the culprits and bring them to book.
