– Oyebanji Visits Families of Slain Monarchs
– Communities begin burial rites
Latest report had it that the kidnappers had reached out to the families of the kidnapped victims ,demanding N10million each from the 10 abducted victims .
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji on Tuesday visited the families of the deceased traditional rulers felled by kidnappers bullets.
This is as Ekiti State Police Command announced the arrest of five suspects in connection with the killings and kidnappings.
A source in the victims family who did not want husband in the Press said the kidnappers have reached out to the them .
According to him,”t hey called the family of one of the school children and they are requesting for N10million per victim.What we gathered is that there are 10 persons kidnapped – six school children, three teachers and a driver.
The parents are at Eporo. The bus was returning them home after closing. It was in the process that the kidnappers struck
However the Police Public Relations ,Sunday Abutu ,in a statement said the suspects were arrested during a bush combing operation through Oke-Osun, Ikere/Igbo-Okah to the thick forest around Iju/Ikere boundary.
It stated “during the Operation, five suspected kidnappers namely- USMAN JELILI, MOHAMMED BANDE, ABUBAKAR ALIU, ISAH ABDULAHI and SULEIMAN ABDULAHI were arrested.
During interogation, the suspects claimed to be herdsmen but it was later discovered that none of them has a cattle and no cattle was found with them in the forest where they were arrested.
The following items were found with them in the forest; Two Motorcycles, one cutlass, one jack knife/ dagger and four phones.
The governor called at two communities to commiserate with the families of the dedeased monarchs ,late Olumojo Oba Olatunde Olusola and Oba Babatunde Ogunsakin, the Elesun of Esun Ekiti.
The two communities wore mournful look as residents gathered in groups to mourn the late monarchs. The communities have also carried out the symbolic cutting down of Palace trees indicating the demise of the Obas .
Some members of the communities were also seen reigning curses on the killers of the traditional Rulers.
A ccompanied by top government functionaries and politicians, Oyebanji described the untimely Killing of the two notable traditional rulers as very unfortunate.
He also comeserated with the families of the deceased and the people of the two towns as well as the traditional institution in the State.
Oyebanji assured the people of the two communities that the papetraitors that will be arrested and made to face justice..He commended the people over what he described as their peaceful disposition over the grusome murder of the traditional rulers.
Describing security as a joint task of both residents and government, the governor however urged the people of the State to continue in assisting the security operatives by giving timely information to the security men within their environment.
The governor promised to assist the bereaved family and assist Imojo community on completion in the construction of the ongoing palace in the community.
The Elejira of Imojo who is also the second on command to the deposed Onimojo of Imojo, Chief Ayodele Dada, described the death of the monarch as a painful one.
” Our late monarch was a beacon of development, the Kabiyesi lost his Olori some years ago and his five children are orphans now. “
He explained that the late monarch in the last few years he ascended the throne, has initiated several developmental projects to the community.
He lamented over what he called frequent kidnapping activities in the area in the last few months, the community called on the government to double its efforts in providing security for the people of the State.