Ekiti killing: Police whisk ACN chairman to Abuja

Former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose

Police in Ekiti State on Wednesday arrested the state Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Jide Awe, at his Erijiyan, Ekiti residence.

Awe, who was immediately taken to Abuja, a source said, was arrested for questioning in connection with the killing of Mr. Ayo Jeje at Erinjiyan on Saturday.

Jeje, a former member of the ACN was said to have prepared to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday before he was killed.

Publicity Secretary of the ACN in the state, Mr. Tunde Adeleke, confirmed that Awe was invited  to Abuja  by the police for fact-finding.

Debunking the rumour that Awe was detained at the Police headquarters in the state before he was taken to Abuja, Adeleke said no case had been established against the party’s chairman.

He said, “Chief Jide Awe is not a criminal and no case has been established against him; so why must he be detained by the police? There is no iota of truth in the rumour that Awe was detained before taken to Abuja.

“It is true that our chairman, Chief Jide Awe, was invited to Abuja and the invitation was just for fact-finding over the Erinjiyan issue. The invitation is normal under this circumstance.”

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Victor Babayemi, could not be reached to confirm the arrest.

Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Sotonye Wakama, did not pick calls put across to his telephone by our correspondent.

Meanwhile, former Governor Ayo Fayose, has called on the Inspector General of Police to take over the investigation of the case.

Fayose said, “The rate of killings since this administration came on board is worse than any government ever.  If you take the statistics of political intolerance and politically-motivated killings, you will see that this government is the worst.

“It has been the noise of the ACN that the PDP and Fayose were the ones killing the people, but now our people can see who the true killers are.”

But the state Commissioner of Information, Mr. Tayo Ekundayo, described the allegations are false. He, however, said the people in the state knew “who Fayose was and who he still is.”

He said the government would do everything to ensure that those behind the killing were apprehended.

Meanwhile, Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Communications, Mr. Oyetunde Ojo, has alleged that the PDP is using “federal might” to oppress ACN members in the state.

Ojo, who is from Erinjiyan Ekiti, described the arrest of Awe as oppression from the PDP.

He said, “The killing and the crisis in Erinjiyan on Saturday was an intra-party crisis within the PDP. The ACN knows nothing about this crisis.” (Via Punch)