One of the suspects arrested in connection with the killing of the two traditional rulers in Ekiti State last week has claimed that he was a herdsman, but was forced by the other bandits to join them in kidnapping. He said that they threatened him that they would shoot him if he refused to join them.
According to the report by The Nation, the suspect identified as Alhaji Babusa Lede, confessed that he was part of gang that killed the two traditional rulers.
The two Ekiti monarchs – the Elesun of Esun Ekiti, Oba Babatunde Ogunsakin, and the Onimojo of Imojo, Oba Olatunde Olusola – were killed by the gunmen when they were on their way back from a security meeting.
Speaking to newsmen at the Ekiti State Police Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, Babusa claimed that their plan was not to kill the traditional rulers, but that his friends shot them and they ran away.
He said
, “We didn’t plan to kill the traditional rulers, but I can’t remember what happened. My friends shot at them and we ran away. They left the bush immediately. They have been kidnapping people for ransom, I joined them once to kidnap and they gave me N5,000 from the money they collected.”
Speaking about how he was arrested, he said that it was when he came into town to buy garri that security operatives apprehended him.
The Alara of Ara-Ekiti in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Oba Adebayo Fatoba, who escaped the attack said that there have been repeated attacks on residents by bandits because of the vast forests they have in their area.
The monarch revealed that the bandits also shot him that day, but their bullets did not penetrate his body.