*** Force Headquarters to take over investigation
The police in Ekiti State have arrested four persons in connection with last Sunday's attack on members of the Ekiti Bibiire Coalition, which led to the death of one Mr. Foluso Ogundare, a member of the coalition.
Those arrested, according to sources are House of Assembly member, Hon. Kehinde Boluwade; Olomi Babalola; Yomi Adebayo and Ayo Famojuro.
Ekiti Bibire Coalition is the political platform of Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, a House of Representatives member, who is aspiring for the state governorship seat in 2014.
It will be recalled that Ogundare was shot by some suspected political thugs during a meeting of the coalition at Ward 03 in Emure Ekiti and later died at the Federal Medical Centre, Ido Ekiti.
Sources yesterday said influential persons in the state, who had started besieging the state police headquarters in Ado Ekiti to intervene in the matter, were rebuffed by the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Sotonye Wakama.
The spokesperson for the police in the state, Mr. Victor Babayemi, who confirmed the arrests, however, did not disclose the names of the suspects, saying that "revealing the identities at this point has the likelihood of jeopardising the ongoing investigation."
Babayemi, who assured that the police would get to the root of the matter and bring the perpetrators of the "dastardly act to book," said the Force Headquarters in Abuja would take over the matter "for proper and fair investigation."
The police spokesperson, who said three of the suspects would be moved to Abuja today over their alleged involvement, said the role of the fourth person in the matter had not been ascertained.
He said: "We have three persons. The alleged mastermind and people that allegedly took part in the dastardly act ran into hiding. We were able to track and arrest them based on reliable information. The force headquarters is taking over the matter. We are making preparations for their onward transfer."
Babayemi, who said that the police command was up to the task in the state and would not compromise, reeled out the high profile cases it had investigated, saying the present one would not be an exception.
In a related development, a political pressure group, Save Ekiti Coalition (SEC), appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan "to come to the aid of Ekiti people by directing the police to make sure that those who killed Foluso Ogundare and others in the last three years must be arrested, prosecuted and punished irrespective of their position in government."
The convener of SEC, Mr. Lere Olayinka, who expressed doubt about the ability of the state police commissioner to conduct fair investigations in the state, sought his transfer to ensure peace in the state.
Olayinka said: "Our fear is further heightened by the fact that activities towards the 2014 governorship election will soon peak and it appears that Ekiti State is in for another round of bloodletting.
"This is more so that there is every possibility that the people might be pushed to such a state that they will begin to defend themselves," he said.
This was as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Mr. Makanjuola Ogundipe, charged law enforcement agents to fish out the perpetrators of last Sunday's gun attack at Emure Ekiti which led to the death of Ogundare.