Alleged Murderer Set To Emerge Lagos Council Chair As Police Accused of Complicit

By Wahab Akinlade

The Nigeria Police have been accused of compromising competence and genuine efforts at fighting criminality and insecurity in a recent violent attacked on a businessman, Hon. Oluwatosin Onamade in Ijede area of Lagos State.

This is coming as the major crime suspects and mastermind of the violent attack on Hon. Onamade and murder of one of his staff, who were earlier arrested, had been let off the hook by the police, despite glaring evidence against him.

It was reported that on April 16, this year, a businessman, Hon. Oluwatosin Onamade, who is eyeing the Chairmanship seat of Ijede Local Council Development Area in Ikorodu environs under the ruling of All Progressives Congress, APC, was attacked at his office in the area.

The development led to the arrest of some suspects by the Divisional Police Officer in Ijede and the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti for further investigation and prosecution.

In the course of investigation, the suspects confessed, in a video now available to media, that the purpose of the attack was to disrupt Hon. Oluwatosin Onamade’s plan of vying for the Ijede LCDA chairmanship position and that they were sponsored by the incumbent chairman, Alhaji Fatiu Jimoh Salisu.

Unfortunately, few weeks after their arrest, they were back to the community having been released from the Police custody and causing more troubles.

A community leader in the area, who spoke under the condition of anonymity said it was disappointing, despite several evidences and confessional video statements, which nailed the suspects, Police could still let the suspect off the hook.

The two suspects, Owolabi Sodiq Atunrase and Michael Olawale Shittu, who are very well known to be a member of Eiye Confraternity, in the area, were said to have celebrated their returns to the community boasting around that they are untouchable State boiz.

In his effort to get justice for his staff, Mr. Ifeanyi Etunmuse, who lost his life and his younger brother, who sustained serious degree of injuries, during the violent attack on him, Hon. Oluwatosin Onamade took further step to report the case at the Federal Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, Alagbon.

It was gathered that the two prime suspects and others were busted in one of their hideout in an operation coordinated by a team of policemen from FCID and were detained at Alagbon.

The suspects arrested and detained included Owolabi Sodiq Atunrase,

Shittu Michael Olawale, Gbolahan Olubi (a k.a. Baba Ogbon), Olayide Opeifa, (a.ka. Authentic/Inspector), and

Farouk Fasasi, (a.k.a Versace), among others.

One would have expected, that the incumbent chairman of Ijede LCDA should also be detained along with other suspects arrested since all fingers pointed at him as the orchestrator; however, the Chairman, Alhaji Fatiu Jimoh Salisu had since been released.

It was gathered that the Chairman, Alhaji Fatiu Salisu, who has a grievous pending murder charges with the Police was cleared by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to contest the party primaries slated for tomorrow.

In the video evidence and confessional statement made to the police by the suspects arrested and now in the public domain, one of the suspects, Owolabi Sodiq Atunrase, who is a member of the Eiye Confraternity, mentioned that the attack was mobilized and sponsored by Alhaji Fatiu Jimoh Salisu the Ijede LCDA Chairman.

He reiterated this by saying the purpose of the attack was to disrupt Hon. Oluwatosin Onamade’s plan of vying for the Ijede LCDA chairmanship seat.

“The incumbent LCDA Chairman Alh. Fatiu is interested in re-election hence, his reason for mobilizing us to attack Hon. Onamade” he said.

He also mentioned that the task of attacking Hon. Onamade was given to a man known has MAJA, who is the leader of the Eiye confraternity in the area.

He however claimed that it was this Maja that organized the rest of the Eiye confraternity members that participated in the attack.

"That was the second attack on that day", he said.

Another prime suspect, Michael Olawale Shittu also confirmed the story by saying “though the LCDA Chairman (Hon. Fatiu) told us to attack Hon. Onamade not Mr. Ifeanyi.” I attacked with wood as weapon while others use bottles and other weapons.

The residents of Ijede want the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Usman Alkali Baba to come to their rescue, over alleged murder cases, torture and rape of their young girls and even house wives by these criminals. They also noted that Hon. Oluwatosin Onamade case was one of such incidents in the area.

They emphasized that Ikorodu and it's environ is not safe with activities of the cult groups, who are obviously linked to politicians.

Trekafrica.net