Unknown gunmen kill Egba chief in Ogun

UNKNOWN gunmen on Wednesday have reportedly killed an Egba Chief in his Home, located at Ikanna compound in Ago-Oba area of Abeokuta South Local Council of Ogun State.

The victim, who is the Oluwo of Ikanna, Chief Moses Alabi Oyebade, was reported to have been shot several times by his assailants while sleeping at about 12:00 am on Wednesday night.

The gunmen were said to have broken the window glass of his room and shot him at close range several times. The victim, who just marked his 75th birthday in Lagos two weeks ago, was the only occupant in his house as at the time of the incident.

The Guardian gathered that other chiefs in Ikanna reported the case to the State Police Command. The police came down to the house where they forced the door open to carry the remains of Chief Oyebade to the mortuary.

Speaking to The Guardian, the first son of the deceased, Mr Oluyemi Oyebade, said he got the sad news through a phone call from a brother of his in the early hours of Wednesday.

The son who resides in Benin, said he had earlier been informed of some unknown persons who used to trail his late father’s movements.

He added that gunmen had on two occasions visited the house, but they could not gain access into the building, saying that their inability to gain entrance into the building in their first two attempts was the reason why his father was shot through the window this time around. “My father was sleeping in his bedroom.

The bed was close to the window. As the glass was being broken, he woke up to see what was happening. He took his torch to see who was there, that was how he was shot,” Oyebade’s son narrated. He added: “The first gunshot hit his Hand, which was seriously damaged. Maybe when he was still struggling, they shot him again.

I guess they shot him three times.” Oluyemi expressed displeasure that none of the neighbours of Chief Oyebade could come out after the gunmen had left to assist his father, who he believed might not have died if he had been quickly taken to the hospital.

“The funniest part of it was that, when that incident occurred at that time, nobody came to his rescue. If you look at that room, the blood on the floor was more than what you see in an abattoir. It means he struggled to death, while the neighbours were quiet.

They could not assist him. They pretend as if they did not know what happened,” he disclosed. Confirming the incident, the State Police spokesman, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi said: “We have a case of murder at hand. Apena of Ikanna, Chief Moses Oyebade, some men went to his residence, broke his window and shot him at 12:00 am. Adejobi disclosed: “We have examined the place and recovered an assassination note which contained a message written in both English and Yoruba languages.

The content read: “useless man, Oni dokudo, meaning a promiscuous man.” “In our preliminary investigation, it could be a case of assassination. We will invite some people for interrogation,” he added.

“The state Police Commissioner, Valentine Ntomchukwu has directed that the case be transferred to the Department of Criminal investigation,” Adejobi affirmed. He assured: “The perpetrators would not go scot-free. The Commissioner of Police sympathises with the family, even the Kabiyesi, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo.”