Kanyi Okeke
Investigations into the murder of Olaitan Oyerinde, an aide to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who was killed in the weeks leading to the Edo State governorship election appear to be yielding fruits with one of
the four arrested suspects identifying Rev. David Ugolor as their
sponsor.
Ugolor is a Benin-based activist and the Executive Director of the
non-governmental organisation, African Network for Environment and
Economic Justice (ANEEJ).
Ugolor, who was known to have been a very close friend of the
deceased, was said to have been the last person seen with Oyerinde on
May 4 when he was murdered, and was the first person contacted by
Oyerinde’s wife to rush him to an hospital in a bid to save his life…..Continue.
According to the Nation Newspapers, Rev. Ugolor was arrested
at his First East Circular Road office and the police later conducted a
search of the office and his residence apparently to uncover any
evidence which might link him to the killing.
Ugolor has however maintained his innocence saying he was framed.
The Programme/Policy Officer of ANEEJ, Mr. Innocent Edemhanria, who
release a statement to Ugolor’s defense in Benin, said the relationship
that existed between the deceased and Ugolor was so deep that one could
never have plotted killing the other .
He said: “The suspect who is accusing David Ugolor is a northerner
and is completely unknown to Rev. David Ugolor, colleagues and friends.
At the moment, the police are still holding on to David as they carry
out their investigations on the allegation we consider spurious.
“We suspect strongly that somebody high up somewhere is framing up
our executive director, Rev. David Ugolor over the murder of the
personal aide to the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
“Rev. David Ugolor is a life saver, not a taker, as his natural
penchant for poverty eradication, enlarging the voice of the voiceless,
assisting the poor and needy is unparalleled in his almost twenty-five
years of effective and result-oriented activism.”
