GUNMEN KILL OSHIOMHOLE'S AIDE

Barely a week after the Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole escaped death in a controversial road crash in which three journalists died and many others injured, a pall of grief again enveloped the state yesterday, following the killing of the Principal Private Secretary to the governor, Comrade Oyerinde Olaitan by unknown gun men.

Olaitan, 44, was reportedly shot in the eye, chest and stomach when the assailants invaded his residence at No. 65 Ugbor, Benin City in the early hours of Friday.

According to his gateman, Alli Alhadi, the assailants were four with three of them scaling the fence of the compound to gain access while the fourth person stayed on guard outside.

He said he had come out of his gate house to urinate when suddenly the invaders grabbed him from behind and used his wife's head tie to tie him up before pushing him back into the gate house.

Alhadi further explained that the assailants had easy access through the second gate within the premises because it was not locked on the fateful night.

The assailants, who smashed the window in Olaitan's room, reportedly shot him on his bed and thereafter, left the premises with keys to three cars belonging to the family as well as mobile handsets.

Mr. Olaitan who hails from Osun State was Deputy National Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and was on secondment at Edo State Government House.

Sources said he had indicated his willingness to return to NLC to assume duty as National Secretary but was told to stay until after the gubernatorial election in July.

At the time of this report Olaitan's wife and four kids had been evacuated from the premises, while policemen had taken charge of securing the premises.

When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olayinka Balogun said 'we are in the field already to know who are the perpetrators. We are working'.

Meanwhile, there's a conflicting report as to how Oyerinde was killed. In its position, the Edo State government said that the late principal private secretary to Oshiomhole was shot in his living room, where he was sleeping.

A statement by Mr. Tony Iyare, special adviser to the governor on media affairs, said the gunmen first stormed Oyerinde's room and found his brother-in-law sleeping there and thereafter found him sleeping in the sitting room, where he was shot in the head, chest, abdomen and hip.

The statement said: 'Shortly after they stormed the compound, they tied the security guard while two of them forced their way through the front door and made straight for his bedroom. On recognising that it was Mr. Oyerinde's brother-in-law who was actually sleeping on the bed, they immediately left him and went for the wife, Funke, asking her to lead them to the husband who, unknown to them, was sleeping in the living room.

'On sighting him, they instantly fired four shots, one to the head, chest, abdomen and hip, killing Oyerinde instantly. The gunmen later fled without taking anything from the house.

'The killing of Mr. Oyerinde is coming exactly six days after Governor Adams Oshiomhole's convoy was attacked along Warrake-Auchi road, by a truck that curiously veered off its track and headed straight for the staff car, missing it by the whiskers. Three journalists were killed while others including security details, sustained various degree of injuries.

'Curiously, at 2.45am the following day, the home of the Information Commissioner, Mr. Louis Odion, was invaded by four gunmen, who also missed him because he opted to pass the night at a friend's house located in another part of the city. A member of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Johnson Oghuma, was also similarly attacked by gunmen recently. Oghuma, who represents Etsako Central, had his car riddled with bullets, as he was on his way to Fugar, his hometown.

'Odion had, at a press briefing last Sunday, raised fears that top government functionaries were being targeted for elimination.'