LAWYERS from all parts of Ekiti State under the aegis of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), on Monday, took to the streets in parts of Ado Ekiti to protest the kidnap and eventual killing of the secretary of Ikole Branch of NBA, Mr Adeola Adebayo, by yet to be identified gunmen.
The lawyers also decried the shooting to death of a young wig a day after he was called to the bar and native of Emure-Ekiti, Mr Adesina Okeya, in Abuja by people said to be members of a vigilante group.
The protesters were led by the chairmen of the Ado Ekiti branch, Olakanmi Samuel Ayodele; Ikole branch, Ibrahim Olanrewaju and Ikere branch, Oludayo Olorunfemi.
In a letter they presented to the state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, the lawyers called for “immediate deployment of troops to comb that area arrest and bring to justice those who perpetrated this killing and kidnap and as well rid our land of this nefarious marauding killers and harbingers of death.”
The slain Adebayo, 33, was kidnapped along with nine others, including his parents and other family members, on November 17, but the police rescued nine of the victims on the day, but the kidnappers said to be Fulani, went away with the lawyer.
The kidnap had occurred at Efon-Erio-Aramoko road but his decomposed body was said to have been found on December 2, 2018, in a forest at Ibuji, Ondo State, after weeks of searching, with the lawyers saying that he might have been shot dead shortly after a ransom had been paid.
In the letter of protest, copies of which were made available to the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Bello Ahmed and the Director, Department of State Services, Ekiti State the lawyers said “no Nigerian should be subjected to untold economic hardship and still left without security while struggling to make ends meet.
“As we grieve the loss of our departed member, we use this medium to remind you of your responsibility to citizens and request that all hands must be on deck to forestall reoccurrence in the State.
“The state government is not oblivious of the activities of these deadly killers between Iwaraja and Aramoko Ekiti, but it saddens us that there is an ongoing criminal silence to act despite the sustained kidnapping and killing around the axis.
“We demand immediate request deployment of troops to comb the area, arrest and bring to justice those who perpetrated this killing. If this dastardly killing could happen to a Lawyer, what do you think will happen to an ordinary man. We are all endangered species.”
According to the Ekiti bar, “The purpose of government is to provide security for lives and property and where this is not done, the said government is considered to have failed the electorate and constitution it swore to protect.”
Reacting to the protest, CP Ahmed said the police made efforts and had rescued 9 out of those kidnapped alongside the deceased, on the day, and disclosed that the warning given by the deceased’s family that they should tread softly on the matter made police to soft-pedal on their action in the matter.
Ahmed, who expressed sympathy to the lawyers and the family of the deceased, disclosed that “the family asked us to be cautious on this issue when the kidnappers established contact with them and we had to respect their views. You said you paid the ransom, we were not even carried along when the ransom was paid.
“The security of lives is the work of everybody, we are working round the clock. We trekked over 40 kilometres into the bush while searching for him.
“It is unfortunate but on our part, we are going to do our best. We are continuing with our investigations. We are going to continue to do our best.”
Also speaking when he received his protesting colleagues, the deputy governor of Ekiti State, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, said the state government would partner traditional rulers and other community leaders to ensure the security of lives and properties in their domains.
Egbeyemi said: “We have taken the matter of Adebayo and others very seriously when the report got to the governor, he arranged for people to go to the place and ordered the Commissioner of Police and the Army to take part in the rescue mission.
“Apart from that, we are reliably informed that Ikere, Ogbese, Erio, Aramoko, Igbara Odo and Iju had allegedly become dens for suspected kidnappers.
“Notwithstanding, we are going to order policemen and other security agencies to be drafted to those areas and the Obas, as you have rightly said, in those areas would be involved.
“I want to tell you that this government has the security of the people in mind and we are going to ensure that everyone, not only lawyers, is secured.
“We are very sad about what is happening in the state security wise and we are sad about what happened at Abuja.
“We are very sad about what is happening in the state security wise and we are sad about what happened at Abuja.
“The boy (Adesina Okeya) who was called to the Bar last week, was kidnapped and died thereafter. We have sent to Abuja that the case must be handled seriously and we are not leaving any stone unturned.”