Akin Apanisile,A witness on Friday explained how Governor Ayo Fayose distributed
money to his loyalists on September 25, 2014, after the State High Court
complex was attacked in a bid to prevent the hearing of his election
eligibility case.
He made the revelation while being led in evidence by
the prosecution counsel, Mr. Ahmed Tafa, before the presiding judge,
Justice Adekanye Ogunmoye.
Apanisile testified as Prosecution Witness 5 (PW 5) in the murder
case instituted by the state government against seven persons accused of
complicity in the murder of former state chairman of the National Union
of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Omolafe Aderiye.
The defendants in the case are Adebayo Aderiye a.k.a. Ojugo; Adeniyi
Adedipe a.k.a. Apase; Sola Durodola; Kayode Ajayi; Oso Farotimi a.ka.
Oso Polo; Sola Adenijo a.k.a. Solar and Rotimi Olanbiwonnu a.k.a.
Mentilo. Aderiye, a loyalist of Fayose, was murdered on the same day
(September 25, 2014), some hours after people suspected to be political
thugs attacked the court and beat up a judge, Justice John Adeyeye.
Apanisile (22) told the court that Fayose (who was then governor- elect)
gave money to those who followed him to the court on the day of the
incident at Spotless Hotel owned by him (Fayose).
The witness revealed that Fayose handed the money to the late Omolafe
to distribute to the boys who followed him to the court on that fateful
day. Apanisile claimed that the late ex-NURTW boss did not give money
to the followers of the first accused person (Ojugo), who was the
Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN)
at the time which, he said caused a rift among the duo.
The witness said: “We went to Spotless Hotel and at the hotel, Fayose
gave the late Omolafe money to distribute to those who went to the
court but Omolafe did not give the boys of Ojugo money and Ojugo was
angry and said he (Omolafe) did not owe him (Ojugo) more than seven
bullets.” Under cross-examination from counsel to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th
defendants, Mr. Biodun Fasakin, Apanisile said: “We followed Fayose to
the court on September 25, 2014 and on that day, I rode on my bike.
There was a big crowd of people cheering Fayose on that day.”
Under
cross-examination from counsel to 5th and 7th defendants, Mr. Lekan
Olatawura, Apanisile admitted that he was among who wielded canes on the
day of the attack on court. Apanisile added that none of the accused
persons in the dock shot Aderiye on the day he was killed. Apanisile had
earlier told the court that the late Omolafe adopted him after he lost
his parents claiming that his father died in 2008 while his mother died
in 2015, but had earlier told the court that he met Omolafe in 2014.
He had earlier told the court that the 6th defendant (Adenijo),
alongside other defendants stormed the late Omolafe’s private park in a
white Hilux van on the day the deceased was killed in 2014 but in
another breath said he knew Adenijo in 2015.
Under cross-examination
from counsel to the 6th defendant, Chief Anthony Adeniyi, Apanisile was
given a sheet of paper to append his signature with his signature
tendered and admitted as Exhibit 19. The witness’ statement volunteered
to the Police was earlier tendered by the prosecution counsel and was
admitted and marked Exhibit 18.
Justice Ogunmoye adjourned the case to next
Wednesday, July 19.
He stressed that the prosecution
should be ready to close its case on the next adjourned date for the
defendants to open their defence.
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