The Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) has ‎urged the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to invite and interrogate the Special Assistant to the Ekiti State Governor on Public Communication and New Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, to shed more light on the role of his principal on the political killings that occurred in the state between 2003 and 2004.

In a pet‎ition sent to the police chief and signed by the group’s National Chairman, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, CSNAC said an alleged article written by Olayinka back in 2004 indicted Fayose of political killings.

The petition noted: “In an article published in Sahara Reporters, an online newspaper on 19th July, 2016, the writer Lere Olayinka narrated how the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, waged war against his perceived political opponents in Ekiti State which led to the murder of some individuals in cold blood while others sustained injuries.”

It quoted part of the article: “In Fayose’s days as governor, there was nothing like free and fair election in his electoral dictionary. Elections to him must be won by whatever means possible and that he demonstrated during the 2004 local government elections in the State, May 28, 2005 councilorship bye-election in Ifaki-Ekiti, Ekiti South Federal Constituency II bye-election among others.”

CSNAC noted that if the issues raised are anything to go by, and Mr. Lere Olayinka, now an assistant to the alleged Gov. Fayose, is still to deny authorship of the article, then Mr. Olayinka needs to be invited to assist the police in unraveling the personalities involved in these alleged crimes.

The group said: “It is settled in law that criminal matters have no expiry date. Our Governors and other elected public officers must realise that even though the immunity clause protects them as provided by the Constitution, criminal matters have no expiry date and can be reopened at any time to allow for justice to prevail.

“It is therefore important that the Police Force order that these murder cases are reopened, properly investigated, with Mr. Lere Olayinka assisting with information and the culprits punished adequately. The families of the affected victims can have justice on the deaths of their loved ones.

“CSNAC is therefore by this petition demanding that the Police invite Mr. Lershed more light into these alleged murders thereby aiding the police to conduct a thorough investigation. It is important that the perpetrators of these dastardly acts are brought to justice and quickly too. This will help in driving home the point that electoral violence has no place in our democracy.”

•Photo shows Acting IGP Ibrahim Idris.

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