Gunmen Kill Oshiomhole’s Principal Private Secretary In Benin

The Principal Private Secretary to Edo State Governor, Mr Olaitan Oyerinde was in the wee hours of this morning shot dead by unknown gunmen.

Oyerinde, 44, was shot dead by four gunmen who invaded his house located in Ugbor area, Benin City around 1 a.m.

Shortly after they stormed the compound, they bounded 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 about 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 in 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.

Oyerinde who read Mass Communication at the University of Lagos, was seconded from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to work for the comrade governor in November 2007. He is survived by his wife, Funke, four children, an aged father and an mother.

This sequence of sordid events coming each time on the eve of the flag off of Governor Oshiomhole’s campaign, raises grave concern and therefore demands thorough investigation by the security forces.

Narrating how the late labour leader was killed, his gateman, Alli Alhadi, said the assailants were four in number 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 bind him 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 left the premises with keys to three cars belonging to the family as well as mobile handsets.

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.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olayinka Balogun said “we are in the field already to know who are the perpetrators. We are working”, when he was contacted on the phone.