Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police’ (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have arrested four suspects, who allegedly murdered a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Festac, Emmanuel Ubah, alias Onwa.
Ubah, the head of Community Policing Youth Vanguard (CPYV) in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area (LGA), was shot dead on the eve of the council elections in July.
He was shot four times in the head. His assailants threw all his mobile phones into the canal.
Ubah’s death sparked outrage in Amuwo Odofin, with his friends and associates insisting that it was politically motivated.
After months of tracking the culprits, the police yesterday paraded Michael Fashola, Mufutau Tokosi, alias TK, Abidemi Adeleye, alias Baido and Fatai Onifade, alias Apashe.
The suspects were said to have been contracted to kill Ubah but they denied the allegation, insisting that they murdered him because they felt threatened by his influence in the area.
It was gathered that the suspects, who fled to Cotonou after allegedly committing the offence, later had a disagreement on the balance of their payment.
They were said to have been embroiled in fights with Onifade, who was allegedly their link to the person who ordered the murder.
Acting Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal said a Barreta Pistol, two live ammunition and one pump action gun were recovered from them.
Fashola said he was brought into the picture by Tokosi, who contacted him on the request of Adeleye.
He said: “I did not know the Onwa. It was TK who contacted me. Baido asked him to call me for the deal. The initial plan was to harass Onwa but I shot him by mistake. I shot him more than once. It was on his head. Baido was inside the car with him. They told us where to meet them. I was not paid anything. I gave the gun back to Apashe after shooting him.”
Adeleye, who called the deceased on phone around 8pm and requested for a meeting, admitted that Ubah picked him up at Synergy Bus Stop.
He said: “I called him around 8pm and told him we needed to discuss issues relating to politics. He told me to wait at Synergy Bus Stop that he would call me in 30 minutes. I was the closest person to him. We were friends. He came and picked me up and said we should go and get Apashe (Onifade).
“He did not know there was a plan to threaten him. It was my plan with Apashe because we felt he was too powerful. While on our way, Michael and Mufutau blocked us with motorcycle.
“Onwa opened the car and was arguing with them. One of his legs was on the ground. I was inside the car. The next thing I heard was gunshots. It was Michael that shot him and it is not true that I held his hand while he was struggling with him.
“When they shot him, I ran away from the car. Then, I picked his phones and threw it into the water because I was afraid. I did not want anyone to trace me as the last person he spoke to on phone.”
Onifade, who mastermind the attack, said he was bitter because the deceased was very powerful.
He said he was threatened by the deceased’s influence and that as the leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in the area, he felt that the deceased usually sponsored boys who attacked him.
Onifade said: “We did not plan to kill him. We just wanted to shakara him. I am an OPC member and I know the number of times I have been shot at. I felt he was the one sponsoring the boys that usually attacked me.”