Posted by From AKEEB ALARAPE, Ibadan on
Oluwadamilare, one of the children of Hon. Olusegun Oladimeji a.k.a Segelu, who was murdered by unknown gunmen on Friday, September 14, has called on the acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mike Okiro, to take over probe into the gruesome murder of his father, alleging that the Oyo State police command has compromised itself in the investigation.
Oluwadamilare, one of the children of Hon. Olusegun Oladimeji a.k.a Segelu, who was murdered by unknown gunmen on Friday, September 14, has called on the acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mike Okiro, to take over probe into the gruesome murder of his father, alleging that the Oyo State police command has compromised itself in the investigation.
Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan on Tuesday, Oluwadamilare accused the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Lagelu Local Government Area, Hon Lafisoye Akinmoyede, of being the mastermind of the murder of his father and also misleading detectives at the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), who were investigating the case.
He said Akinmoyede, popularly called Lafi, actually gave the names of those to be arrested to the police in the state whereas all information regarding his involvement in the murder had been taken with a pinch of salt.
Oluwadamilare explained that his late father had consistently opposed the chairmanship ambition of Akinmoyede, a situation he alleged might have prompted him (Lafi) to get rid of the federal lawmaker.
But reacting to the allegation against him, Lafi told Daily Sun on phone on Tuesday that Oluwadamilare's campaign of calumny was only to smear his name, adding that he was not a criminal as alleged.
"His dad put me in that council 10 years ago, so, why should I kill him? But this boy, (Oluwadamilare), has been a supporter of Sugar since he came to Lalupon and decided to contest the council election. He was staying in his house. It was Sugar's brother who has been taking him around media houses to smear my name," Lafi stated.
But police sources in the state described Oluwadamilare as a rabble-rouser, who was being used by one Temitope Olatoye a.k.a Sugar, who was already in police net over the murder incident, in a bid to disrupt investigations into the murder case.
Although, the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Prince Udom Ekpoudom, declined comments on Oluwadamilare's allegation when newsmen called at his office on Tuesday, a senior police officer confided in Daily Sun that Oluwadamilare was allegedly doing a paid job as he was one of the boys following Sugar around during the last general elections.
But in his statement, Oluwadamilare said he was not raising alarm because of any individual but to safeguard his future as he was an orphan, having lost his mother in December 2004.
"I am not here because of anybody. I am here because of myself. It is my dad who was killed. I am now an orphan. I have lost my own umbrella. My mum died three years ago. Now, I have lost my dad. He was my umbrella. Who will replace the umbrella for me? All those arrested have nothing to do with my dad's death," Oluwadamilare stated.
He said the police had refused to act on his information that his father was killed allegedly to pave the way for Lafi to contest the local government election slated for December in the state as his father was against Lafi's candidature.
"He (Lafi) has been planning for a long time to be the council chairman at all cost. He has been coming to my dad that he wanted to be chairman. Even when he was the vice-chairman of the council, he used to come. But all along, my dad has been telling him that he should be contented with what he has become so far at the council.
"When he became the caretaker chairman, my dad told him that the appointment was not from him but from Molete and that he should forget his chairmanship ambition. Everybody in Lagelu knows that my dad is the decision maker under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Whatever he said then in Lagelu was the final. That is why they have to eliminate him to pave the way for their ambition," the embattled 30-year-old Oluwadamilare added.
His statements were corroborated by Mr. Oyeyemi Oladipupo, who claimed to be a concerned citizen from Lalupon, a neighbouring town to Ejioku, where the federal lawmaker was assassinated. Oladipupo alleged that Segelu's opposition to the political ambition of Lafi resulted in his murder.
Oladipupo disclosed that the endorsement of one Alhaji Akintoye as the next council chairman of Lagelu Local Government Area by Segelu, during a meeting of the Lagelu chapter of the PDP, which was held before the gruesome murder of the politician, served as the last straw that broke the camel's back.
"Segelu was a transparent man. He never concealed his opposition to the chairmanship ambition of Lafi. He told us several times that Olafisoye cannot dominate as he has spent about 11 years in the council. He was a two-time councilor, a vice-chairman before becoming an acting chairman of the council. Now, he is the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the council. Segelu only approved his appointment as caretaker chairman because of his (Segelu) ambition to go to the House of Representatives," Oladipupo stressed.
The elderly Oladipupo disclosed that Lafi has a hit squad located at Abata compound at Lalupon, headed by one Kola, whose members relocated from the town immediately Lafi was arrested by police before he was let go again.
Oladipupo challenged the police to plant their men at Lalupon and gave assurance that in no distant time, they would uncover the truth about Lafi's alleged heinous crimes and his gang of killers.