Eleweomo, NURTW boss, killed in Ibadan

THE factional chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oyo State chapter, Alhaji Abdul Lateef Salako, also known as Eleweomo, was on Thursday killed in Ibadan.




He was killed inside the IDC Primary School, Olunloyo, in Ona Ara Local Government Area of the state, during the second leg of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congress, ordered by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP.

The police report issued later confirmed the killing of the factional NURTW boss allegedly by the aides of Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin.

The report, with reference number CJ:4161/OY/‘B’ OPS/Vol. and dated 30/12/2010 was released at 18.00 hours (6.00 p.m.) and was signed by Compol ‘B’ OPS Ibadan, David Afolayan, an Assistant Commissioner of Police.

The incident report said: “At about 12.30 hours of yesterday, at IDC Primary School, Olunloyo, Ogbere, Ibadan, while Ona Ara PDP Local Government congress was in progress, Senator Teslim Folarin of PDP representing Oyo Central, escorted by mobile policemen and other civilian security guards, armed with AK 47 rifles, pump action guns and other dangerous weapons, came and started damaging vehicles and setting some ablaze.

“Some of the thugs pursued one Alhaji Abdul Salako (aka Elewe-omo, factional leader of NURTW, Oyo State chapter, it was later discovered that the said Alhaji Abdul Salako was killed at some distance from the venue of the congress.

“Also, one Alhaji Sheu Qudir and CA III Olojode Owode, both NSDC personnel, attached to Ona Ara LGA were shot and matcheted during the pandemonium.

“Items recovered from the scene include five expended AK 47 ammunitions (sic), nine expended cartridges, among others, 14 vehicles were damaged, five were set ablaze, two suspects were arrested, corpses deposited at Adeoyo Hospital Mortuary for autopsy.

The report further said “scene of the  incident was visited by Commissioner of Police, Baba Adisa Bolanta, ACPOL ‘B’ Ops and other senior officers.

It said efforts were on to arrest the perpetrators and other fleeing thugs, while “patrol, monitoring, surveillance within the metro is in progress.

“Adequate security arrangement has been put in place to prevent escalation of crisis,” the report said.

When the Nigerian Tribune visited the Iwo Road area where hundreds of Alhaji Salako’s supporters gathered, they were seen discussing the tragedy in groups in a charged atmosphere, raining curses on the assailants.

Also, when Nigerian Tribune visited the NURTW secretariat at Olomi, security had been beefed up with one Personnel Armoured Carrier (APC), police patrol vehicles, mobile policemen on standby, to avert  a possible breakdown of law and order.

Meanwhile, traders along the Iwo Road interchange and Olomi areas were seen packing their wares for fear of being attacked by members of the union, following the death of their leader.

One of the aides close to the late Salako told the Nigerian Tribune that the murdered NURTW boss had put arrangements in top gear for the twin celebration of his 58th birthday and house-warming on New Year’s day.

According to him, “Alhaji Salako was a very gentleman. He had planned to return to his house after the congress and continue discussions with those saddled with finalising arrangements for a hitch-free celebration.

“Last night, I was at his house till 8.00 p.m. He told me he would have invited the late fuji exponent, Alhaji Ayinde Balogun (Barrister) for the celebration on Saturday.

“In fact, bails of aso ebi textiles have been bought by admirers and well-wishers of the slain gentleman. But those who killed the vulture would not last a calender year,” he said.

Reacting to the incident, the Oyo State governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, condemned the dastardly act, saying “how come that the peaceful congress was violently disrupted at Ona-Ara, Folarin’s local government? Their fear was that the congress, as the results were emerging, would expose their electoral weakness.”

Alao-Akala, reacting through his Special Adviser on Public Communications, Mr Dotun Oyelade, said the murder of the NURTW boss should not disturb the state congress holding today.

“Our delegates elected at today’s (yesterday) congress should troop out to the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium tomorrow and vote in their state exco, and we implore the good people of Oyo State to remain calm, the government is on top of the situation,” he said.

But giving an account of what happened at the local government, a close ally of Senator Folarin absolved the senator and his aides of blame.

He said both Governor Alao-Akala and the commissioner of police should be held responsible for Eleweomo’s death.

According to him, Senator Folarin had, on Wednesday, placed a call to the commissioner of police, alleging a threat to his life and the plan by some individuals to cause crisis at the venue of the congress.

“Senator Folarin called the commissioner of police five times; he even placed a call to the director of the State Security Service (SSS) over the plan to cause confusion and that he was the target.

“Even on Thursday, he called Mr Baba Adisa Bolanta again, when he heard that Eleweomo and his thugs had invaded the venue of the congress and started harassing his men. He implored the CP to deploy his men there to ensure the safety of party men. But the CP failed to heed the warning.

“Besides, the question is what was Eleweomo doing at the venue of the congress, when he was neither a member of the PDP nor from Ona-Ara? Eleweomo was from Ogun State. The fact is, Governor Alao-Akala had deployed Eleweomo there to cause confusion and disrupt the congress. He created the confusion with his boys and they were the ones that did the shooting.

“So Nigerians should ask Mr Bolanta the action he took after a whole Senate Leader called to alert him of the planned chaos and why he failed to deploy his men in the venue immediately,” he said.

The source said the director of SSS could confirm steps taken by Senator Folarin which would have averted the tragedy had the CP taken action.

“The said police report is all a concoction of lies. Both Governor Alao-Akala and Mr Bolanta were responsible for the chaos,” the source stated.