Bunmi Ojo: Shot dead (Photo Credit: Channels Television)

A political associate of former Governor of Ekiti State Engr. Segun Oni, Mr. Bunmi Ojo, was on Friday evening shot dead by suspected assassins.

Reports indicate that Ojo was shot dead in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital around 8:30pm Friday.

“He was trailed to a viewing centre along Adebayo road, here in Ado-Ekiti. The match between Leicester and Manchester United was ongoing. Immediately they identified him, his killers opened fire on him,” reports quoted eyewitnesses as saying on how the APC chieftain was killed.

The killers of the APC chieftain who parked their vehicle in front of the viewing centre  sped off after confirming that he had died, eyewitnesses confirmed.

Oni who was a Personal Assistant to Engr Oni who was the first runner-up in the APC Governorship primary which was eventually won by the Governor-elect, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi.

Meanwhile, the APC in Ekiti State has lamented the gruesome killing of Comrade Bunmi Ojo describing it as a brutish end to a blossoming life and career.

In a release by the Publicity Secretary of APC, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party rued the untimely death of its chieftain and called on the security operatives to fish out the perpetrators without delay.

Olatunbosun described Ojo as his personal friend and an amiable personality who would not hurt anyone. He said Ojo’s death was a grave personal loss to him and everyone who had been close to him.

“Those who knew Bunmi (Ojo) cannot but liked him, he was an easy-going and upright politician who cultivated friendship in both high and low places, which endeared him to many people”, said the APC Publicity Secretary, adding that his cold death could not be far from political machinations and the assailants tools of a devilish politician in the state.

“We will not rest until the assailants are fished out. This is a test of efficiency for the police and other security operatives,” Olatunbosun moaned.

Ekiti APC also cautioned that the ruling People Democratic Party, PDP in the state, should not make the people of the state suffer further in its hands, adding that the present government would certainly be made to account for all its atrocities, and brought to book for creating an atmosphere of bloodletting in a hitherto peaceful environment.

“Let it be known that the present state government is not free from all the insecurities pervading our state and will be held responsible as the mastermind. We deserve an explanation as to why Bunmi Ojo should be killed without provoking anyone.”

While wishing late Ojo could be revived, Olatunbosun called on the federal government not to neglect Ekiti State at this dark moment when the ruling party was still in pain over its loss at the 14 July poll and threatening to have its pound of flesh on innocent citizens by taking away peace from the land.

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” Olatunbosun said, while warning everyone to be self-conscious of the state of insecurity the state had been thrown into. He also prayed that God would give the wife, children and other family members of late Bunmi Ojo the fortitude to bear the loss.

Ekiti State Governor-Elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has also commiserated with the family and members of APC over the death of Ojo.

In a statement issued on his behalf by his Director of Media and Publicity, Wole Olujobi, Fayemi expressed shock and sadness over the late Ojo’s murder, saying that the killing of the late politician was a sad commentary that shattered the relative peace the state had enjoyed after the July 14 governorship poll.

While commiserating with the family of the late politician, Fayemi charged security agencies to live up to their responsibility to get to the root of the killing and bring perpetrators to justice.

The Governor-Elect, who noted that he had known Ojo at a younger age as an activist with vision and commitment to human development, said:

“This is a sad development that should not be allowed to go away without getting to the root of this killing, but then the public must give security agencies chance to do their job to get to the root of this sad development and security agencies are enjoined to swing into action to apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime to check the activities of criminals in Ekiti State.

“This is the minimum responsibility the security agencies owe the public so that Ekiti people can live in peace without any threat to the security and peace of the state.

“While commiserating with the family of the deceased and entire members of APC, we pray God to grant him eternal rest, ” the statement concluded.