Mimiko innocent of crimes in Ondo –LP
By Agency reporter
Published: Tuesday, 21 Aug 2007
The Ondo State chapter of the Labour Party has condemned the recent press conference addressed by Chief Segun Adegoke, the Political Adviser to Governor Olusegun Agagu, in which he accused the party and its governorship candidate in the April 14 election, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, of perpetrating crime.

Mimiko

In a release issued by party’s Director of Press on Monday, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi, LP insisted that Adegoke’s statement was meant to lay the ground for the series of violence against its members which started earnestly immediately after he addressed the press penultimate Thursday as elucidated by the attacks on its Legal team.

And our agitations will not be in vain in Jesus name.

Star witness in Kogi election petition murdered
From Ralph Omololu Agbana, Lokoja

IN-YET-ANOTHER dastardly act, Mr. Victor Obafaiye, a star witness in the on going governorship and House of Representatives petitions in Kogi State, involving two Action Congress (AC) candidates, Senator Muhammed Ohiare and Mr. Richard Akanmode, has been killed.

The slain Obafaiye was said to have been lured from his home in Kabba at about 1.00 a.m. yesterday to his untimely death by the yet to be identified killers. He was strangled and his lifeless body dumped in the canal in the Odolu area in Kabba, where it was found by passers-by in the morning. Details of the murder and police statement were still being awaited as at press time.

When The Guardian contacted the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ambrose Igbokwe, he said he was yet to be briefed on the incident and promised to call back. It was however learnt that the AC leadership in the state had formally reported the incident to the Police Command in Lokoja.

The AC candidate and petitioner in respect of the disputed election in Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, Akanmode, yesterday confirmed the incident to journalists in Lokoja. He said Obafaiye was last seen at the Lokoja High Court premises, venue of the election tribunals last Monday, August 13, 2007, at the resumed hearing of his (Akanmode’s) case against Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The remains of the deceased, a father of four, in his mid-forties, has since been deposited in the mortuary.

In his reaction, the lead counsel to Akanmode, Mr U.M. Enwere, described Obafaiye as a “star witness”, whose death would create a temporary set back for his case.

However, the state Chairman of the AC, Chief Mike Adeleye, told The Guardian on the telephone that the pointer to Obafaiye’s murder “is very clear”. He added: “It is a continuation of the violence, intimidation and harrassment meted out to members of the opposition and indeed, supporters of AC, during the last elections. This killing is part of the game plan to erase all traces of facts in the petitions filed by AC candidates in respect of the governorship and House of Representatives elections in Kabba/ Bunu/ Ijumu Federal Constituency.”

Adeleye recalled that the killing was coming barely a week after Enwere reported to the tribunal last Monday how hoodlums attacked the team that went to Kabba to inspect Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) materials adding.

“That was after glaring irregularities were unearthed”.

The AC chief alleged that Obafaiye was killed for being in possession of documents that would have assisted the tribunal in the resolution of the cases involving the AC in Kabba/Bunu. He therefore, urged both the tribunal and the police to provide cover for witnesses in the cases pending before the tribunal as such fate that befell Obafaiye was capable of scaring other witnesses from testifying thereby subverting justice.

Yesterday’s incident also marked a dangerous twist to the controversies and the legal tussles trailing last April’s elections in the area. The state House of Assembly Tribunal had a forthnight ago, nullified the election in Kabba/Bunu Constituency won by the PDP candidate, Jethro Funsho Oni, on the ground of proved cases of violence. Consequently, the tribunal granted the prayer of the AC candidate, Fred Ayenale, for a fresh election to be conducted in the constituency.

Yes, our God will protect His own and all lovers of truth and justice. Our God will spare the lives of the innocent and upright and all lying tongues shall be sealed while all devilish hands will be cut off.

One thing I will repeat is this, MIMIKO is a God fearing man, and he is the aggrieved in this matter. HIS was the mandate stolen, and he was the man chosen to govern Ondo State. Political thugery and assasinations are a reality and not a figment of imagination worldwide. lack of trust in the police can be understandable when one looks at the political and governmental climate in any given situation.

Why when the going is good in terms of who is winning what in this Electoral petition would any sane mind cry wolf? All should beware the guiles of the devil and not leave anything to chance. I thank God for sparing the lives of these counsels and for letting them live to give what i call their testimony of the greatness of God, and thank God for He will bring to completion what he has started.

In Ondo state, the truth and what will be beneficial for the Ordinary citizens, the truely aggrieved and cheated people will prevail and the just will be vindicated. We shall not die but live to tell of the greatness of our God, and in Ondo state, all wrongs will be righted. We remain firm in our resolve and in our quest for JUSTICE in Ondo State. God protect the lives of Mimiko, his God fearing followers and the people of Ondo State young and old (amen). IT IS A CRYING SHAME that all these are happening in Ondo State but teh sun will yet shine again for God has decreed that Ondo State is a Sunshine State.

Tribunal: Mimiko’s Lawyers Escape Assassination
From James Sowole in Akure, 08.19.2007

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The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure, Ondo State, was yesterday forced to suspend sitting for close to two hours as the three counsel of the Labour Party (LP), narrated their miraculous escape from suspected hired killers, who waylaid them on Friday night while coming from Abuja around 9.00pm.
The counsel are, Dr Olumide Ayeni, Aderemi Olatubora and Femi Fadare.
Narrating their ordeal with the suspected assassins, the counsel said the vehicle they were traveling in from Abuja, was waylaid somewhere between Ibillo in Edo State and Isua-Akoko junction in Ondo State.
A battered green Honda Accord with registration number CN 391 KTU, belonging to one of the counsel and in which the lawyers were traveling was brought to the Ondo State High Court venue of the tribunal as evidence of their brush with death.
The counsel had last Monday got the tribunal’s permission for three days leave so that they could lodge a formal complaint in Abuja over allegation of various live threatening activities and intimidations against them.
The ruffled Ayeni, who addressed the tribunal over the attack, said he and his colleagues were attacked by the unidentified men in Toyota Land Cruiser Sports Utility Van (SUV) on a lonely stretch of road as they entered Ondo State.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Ondo State government, in a swift reaction described the Ayeni allegation as frivolous and an act of crying wolf where there was none.
Ayeni disclosed that their vehicle was trailed by the SUV “which apparently had been waiting for us at a petrol station at Ibillo” and pulled up by their side as they approached the Isua junction.

“When they pulled beside us they told us to park and one of them was dressed like a policeman, apparently to create the false impression that they were security agents. But we saw one of them, dressed like a ninja and covering his face, reaching out to something on the floor of the vehicle and it dawned on us that they were out to kill us”, he said

The stoppage according to him was meant to ascertain their identity as he said they heard one of the assailants saying in Yoruba, “awon ni”, meaning, they are the ones.

The speed battle of supremacy that ensued between the SUV and the counsels’ car according to him, resulted in the right side of the car being battered before the lawyers were able to gain an upper hand and over-sped the assailants.

The counsel disclosed further that having escaped the assailants, “we veered off to a dirt road and put off our lights in great fear. After about four minutes, the SUV sped off and we followed it at a safe distance.

“When we got to Akungba junction we saw them making a detour to the left for Akure and sensing that they may still lay ambush for us along the road, we turned right and sought refuge in Ikare-Akoko”

Addressing reporters at the tribunal premises while inspecting the battered car, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Eddy Olafeso, said the LP’s claim “is taking politics to a ridiculous level.

“Imagine everything being viewed from the angle of an imaginary animosity between the PDP and the LP. It is quite unfortunate. And these Labour people are the cause of these unnecessary sensationalism which is aimed to heat up the polity”.

According to Olafeso, who said he had to rush to the tribunal to see things for himself when he heard the news, “these LP people should be told to go and sit down if they don’t know what to do again”

But Ayeni told the court that the incident had confirmed the “strong suspicion” that the lives of the lawyers in the Mimiko team are under threat stressing that the SUV that was used in the attack has an Abuja number plate and had been seen several times within the tribunal premises.

Although he claimed that “these people who clearly want to subvert the course of justice” would not cow the Mimiko legal team into submission, urging the tribunal to take notice of the occurrence “as members of the temple of justice”.

But the PDP counsel, Kayode Olatoke, urged the tribunal to discountenance the claims of Ayeni and raised a poser “why didn’t they go and report the matter to the police instead of coming to the tribunal”.

Ayeni however said they have reasons not to have confidence in members of the Ondo Police Command.

While sympathizing with the LP legal team, the Justice G.N Nabaruma-led tribunal urged them to be more wary of their security saying there was nothing they can do on their part here advising that the tribunal could do and advised that the counsels could seek the service of the State Security Service (SSS) if they do not trust the police.

one thing we pray and are sure of is that God will vindicate the just and this will be sooner than later.

I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…