…Buhari, Osinbajo, Obasanjo, Tinubu, others mourn
…Driver recounts incident
…Police deploy IRT, STS, other special forces to hunt killers
…Youths protest in Akure

By Dayo Johnson, Emma Nnadozie, Dapo Akinrefon, Henry Umoru, Rotimi Ojomoyela, Ola Ajayi, Daud Olatunji, Shina Abubakar& Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Emotions ran high yesterday over the killing of Afenifere leader’s daughter, Mrs. Funke Olakunrin, along Benin/Ore Expressway by suspected herdsmen last Friday.

The father of the deceased, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, who was devastated by the incident lamented that the attack happened when he is yet to come to terms with the death of another daughter of his.

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The nonagenarian, who said these at his residence in Akure, however, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the spate of killings in the country.

Sounding emotional, he said: “Funke came to bid me farewell around 9 am on Friday only for me to learn that she was killed by assailants around 2 pm on the same day.  She came at 9 am to bid me farewell. I heard in the evening that she is no more. President Muhammadu Buhari called me this morning to commiserate with me.

“What I want is for President Muhammadu Buhari to stop these killings. Buhari should stop these killings, I am yet to come to terms with my daughter’s death.’’

Funke, 58, the second daughter of the 94-year-old Afenifere leader and mother of two girls was killed by suspected herdsmen at Kajola in Odigbo Council Area of Ondo State.

Driver, Ogundare speaks

These came as the deceased’s driver, Tayo Ogundare, gave graphic details of how Pa Fasoranti’s daughter was killed.

Ogundare said four persons including the deceased’s maid, Vivian Justice, and another family member, Boluwaji Iwajomo were inside the vehicle when the incident occurred.

Speaking with newsmen at the ljapo residence of Pa Fasoranti, the driver said some masked men came out  of the bush to attack their vehicle while traveling back to Lagos.

He said: “They shot at our vehicle on the expressway just after the Ore toll gate.

“ When we saw them, l put the car in reverse while the gunmen kept shooting at our car till some of the people in the car managed to escape into the bush.”

Ogundare, however, said the deceased was unlucky, adding that she was hit by the bullets.

“Madam gave up the ghost at the hospital due to injuries.  l hid inside the bush and called to inform madam’s family about the attack,” he stated.

It was learned that after shooting the vehicle severally, the assailants aimed at the front tyres making the vehicle somersault.

One of the several shots fired into the vehicle was said to have hit the deceased by the side.

She lost too much blood — Fasoranti’s son, Kehinde

One of the sons of the Afenifere leader, Kehinde Fasoranti, said the deceased, who died at an undisclosed hospital, lost too much blood.

He told reporters in Akure that the corpse of his sister had been recovered from Ore.

“I just came returned to Akure with my sister’s body tonight from Ore. She was on her way to Lagos after she left Baba, Pa Fasoranti, on Friday morning.

“Her vehicle was ambushed around Ore town. The gunmen started shooting at them at the Ore Expressway and the driver had to quickly turn back but unknown to him there were some in the bush on the other side of the road.

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IRT, STS, Special Forces to hunt killers

Meanwhile, President Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina, pledged that security agencies would spare no effort to apprehend the culprits and bring them to justice.

Also, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, assured the nation that the killers of Olakunrin would be found.

A statement by Force Public Relations Officer, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Frank Mba, said: “The IGP notes that the Ondo State Police Command, backed by Special Forces and seasoned investigators from the Force Criminal Investigation Department ,FCID, the Intelligence Response Team ,IRT, and the Technical Intelligence Unit ,TIU, deployed from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, on his directives, have already commenced a massive manhunt for the killers with a view to tracking, arresting and bringing them to justice.

“While condemning the heinous and barbaric crime, the IGP, as part of measures to prevent a future occurrence of such incidence, has ordered the total overhaul of security architecture on the highways straddling the Southern part of the country.

“In this vein, the Commissioners of Police in the affected states were ordered by the IGP to emplace adequate security arrangement in their Areas of Jurisdiction, AOR. He equally assures the nation that the Force Headquarters has perfected plans to replicate the special security arrangement powered by “Operation Puff Adder” currently ongoing on Kaduna- Abuja Expressway on key highways in the Southern part of the country.”

Youths protest in Akure

Similarly, Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, convened a meeting yesterday with heads of security agencies, after which, an order was given to comb the forests in the state.

This came as youths in Akure, protested against the killing, urging the state government to put an end to killings being perpetrated by suspected herdsmen.

Meanwhile, eminent Nigerians condoled with Pa Fasoranti over the incident, decrying the level of insecurity in the country.

Some expressed condolences in telephone conversations with the bereaved nonagenarian, others visited his Akure home, while another set issued statements condemning the incident.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo spoke with the bereaved through the phone of Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who visited the Afenifere leader.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo in a condolence message to the father of the deceased said the country has been diminished by the killing of Olakunrin.

Obasanjo in the letter made available to newsmen in Abeokuta by his Special Assistant, Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, urged

security agents to fish out those responsible for the crime.

Killing has diminished Nigeria—Obasanjo

He said:  “This is a worrisome development in our polity, especially, at a time when all well-meaning Nigerians are preaching tolerance in national politics.

“I must say that Nigeria as a whole is diminished by the manner of Funke’s death. We deplore this dastardly act and seize this opportunity to call on governments at all levels to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that our security agents vigorously pursue and find the perpetrators of such heinous crime and make them face the full weight of the law. We must, together, find the solution to all acts of insecurity in the country, particularly acts of banditry, kidnapping, robbery and killing by the suspected herdsmen.”

Osun State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, described the killing as a dastardly act that should be probed.

According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Adeniyi Adesina, Governor Oyetola, said: “This should not be another case of unresolved murder. All efforts should be made to get to the root of this.”

It’s a personal loss, says Tinubu

On his part, National Leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu described the death of Olakunrin as a personal loss.

Speaking with Sunday Vanguard, his spokesperson, Mr.  Tunde Rahman, said Tinubu has a personal relationship with the Fasoranti.

Tinubu, who condoled with the bereaved nonagenarian in a telephone conversation, would be visiting the Afenifere leader today.

Also condemning the attack in his condolence message, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi,  Ojaja II, described the incident as a disgusting reward for a man like Pa Fasoranti. The monarch in a statement by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Comrade Moses Olafare called on the federal government to put an end to the rate of killings in Nigeria.

It’s a disgusting reward to Fasoranti—Ooni of Ife

He said: “Securing lives and property of Nigerians is the primary responsibility of the government. What is happening to us in Yorubaland at the moment if not urgently curtailed by the government may force our people to come up with a communal security approach which may not augur well for the unity of this country.

“This is a disgusting payback to a man like Pa Fasoranti, who has lived his life for the stability of this country. It is the height of terrorism which is highly condemnable regardless of the tribes involved, no one deserves to be killed.

“It is sad to realise that Nigeria that used to be safe and conducive for all forms of legitimate activities has been reduced to an insecure entity where innocent citizens now lose their lives and property to some faceless miscreants on daily basis.”

A former governor of Ogun State, Otunb Gbenga Daniel, said the development called for an immediate and lasting solution to the insecurity in the country.

Don’t blame us when we react — Aare Adams

Also condemning the attack, Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland,  Gani Adams said the Yoruba should not be blamed for any reaction to the death of Olakunrin.

He said: “We are not bereft of ideas on how to stop this criminality in our land. The Yoruba people are not paper tigers and dogs who can only bark without biting.

“We only want the whole world to know what is being done to our people.

“They should be aware of the actions that preceded our reaction when it eventually comes. We are not bereft of ideas on how to stop this criminality in our land. We should not be blamed when the reaction comes. We are like the proverbial goat that is being chased. When it gets to the wall, it will certainly react. We are at that stage now.”

Policing system should be recalibrated—Ekweremadu

Immediate past Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in a statement by his Media Aide, Uche Anichukwu described the death as a sad reality of the security challenges in the country today and the urgent need to recalibrate Nigeria’s policing system.

Reacting to the development, the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, cautioned Nigerians against jumping to any hasty conclusion about the identity of the killers.

A statement by its leader, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said: “We condole with the leader of Afenifere, whose daughter was killed yesterday. No Nigerian deserves such a horrible death.

“We appeal to Chief Fasoranti to bear the loss with equanimity and to treat the matter with the maturity expected of a leader and statesman.  We, therefore, appeal to all to wait for the outcome of police investigations.”