Ondo APC chieftain murder: Return of political killings?

The assassination of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state, Mr Olamide Odimayo, last week, has raised a pertinent question on the return of political assassinations. AGBOOLA BAYO writes

The killing of a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state, Mr Olumide Odimayo, who was abducted last Thursday, but later found dead in Ese-Odo local government area, has no doubt raised fresh fears of politically motivated killings in the nation’s political circle.
In the past years, the action’s political scene since 1999 has witnessed many killings suspected to in one way or the other often labelled as politically motivated killings most of which till date remained unresolved. They iinclude those of Honourable Odunayo Olagbaju, Chief Bola Ige (SAN), Chief Funso William, Otunba Dipo Dina, Honourable Olusegun Oladimeji, among others.

During general elections since 1999, the political atmosphere is always charged and fear of uncertainty ruled the space largely due to previous murder of political figures. Unfortunately, several years after the cases remain unresolved.
With the latest death of late Odimayo, who was reportedly abducted by gunmen while returning from a trip, politicians in the country seems not to have learnt any lessons considering the threat and fears the Ondo incident will bring into the Nigeria’s 18- year old growing democracy as it is bond to scare away many much needed innocent and patriotic Nigerians capable of ushering the growth, development of Nigeria from the political arena.

The late Odimayo said to have returned to the country to participate fully in the coming political dispensation in the country and by extension Ondo state to contribute his own quota to the growth and development of his fatherland only for his dead body to be found near Ogolo River, between Sabomi and Igbotu communities few days after his kidnap by the unknown gunmen.
According to the Ondo state APC Publicity Secretary, Prince Abayomi Adesanya
Adesanya, the sudden death of Odimayo has thrown the party in the state into total confusion, fears and mourning as the whole party was at lost over the death of the politician whose dead body was found by vigilantes.

He declared that Odimayo’s death had been reported to the police with the party expecting the security agencies particilo the police to fish out and prosecute those behind the killing of the Ondo state politician to serve as deterrent to others.
The APC Publicity Secretary disclosed that late Odimayo contributed to the success of APC in the last governorship election, saying, “he supported the party with all he had when he returned from the United Kingdom (UK). We will surely miss this great man.”

The Ondo state Police Command spokesman DSP Femi Joseph, while commenting on the killing of Odimayo vowed that the police is ready to unravel the mystery surrounding the kidnap and the subsequent killing of the politician by the yet to be identified gunmen and that as at present, the command had arrested eight suspects in connection with the incident.
DSP Joseph who stated that the police arrested the suspected kidnappers of the slain politician before his death disclosed that efforts by the police and some youths led to the arrest of the suspects.

“The leader of the kidnap gang confessed to the police that Odimayo was in their custody. We discovered that the other kidnappers decided to throw him into the river when they knew that they were no longer safe. We felt so bad with the unfortunate incident and we are worried by the death of the politician after a successful operation. I can assure you that the suspects will face the full wrath of the law. Others in the abduction and subsequent killing of Odimayo will not go unpunished.”
If the words of DSP Joseph are anything to go by, there are strong indications that the Nigeria Police Force could this time around surprise Nigerians by fishing out the real kidnappers and killers of Odimayo especially with the information at their disposal according to DSP Joseph that the late politician was thrown into the river by his captors.

Nigerians are no doubt waiting eagerly to hear more from the police to for once come up with the real culprits in the in time death of late Odimayo.
However, the pertinent question arising from the development is: is the Nigerian polity returning to the dark days of political killings, especially during election years?
Another valid question is will Ondo state government allow the incident to go the way of previous politically motivated assassinations?

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