- Safiu Kehinde
Some officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Osun State Chapter, have recounted how a former chairman of the union in the state led the armed hoodlums who murdered Olalekan Opeyemi, an aide to the state’s governor, Ademola Adeleke.
NPO Reported that Olalekan, popularly known as Emir Ajagungbade, was shot dead at Mayfair Motor Park in Ile-Ife on Sunday.
The aide was reportedly vying for the disputed Osun NURTW chairmanship position previously held by one Nurudeen Alowonle before the dissolution of the union by the state government.
He would tragically be killed earlier today days after been endorsed as the next state chairman.
Recounting the incident in a video posted on X, some of the Osun NURTW officials narrated how Alowonle led the armed hoodlums to the park and launched attack at an eatery where Olalekan took them to.
One of the officials who simply identified himself as Gbadegesin, the Osun NURTW Vice Chairman, narrated how he had followed other executive members to the residence of the Osun Commissioner for Transportation where they were informed about the state government’s selection of Olalekan as the next chairman.
According to Gbadegesin, the aide had taken them to the eatery at Mayfair motor park after the meeting.
‘I was in the church when they called me from the garage. The state secretary called me that they are going to the Commissioner for Transport. He told me to follow them, and I said I’m on my way.
‘When we got to the commissioner, he greeted us before announcing that Ajagungbade is the preferred candidate for the state chairmanship.
‘The commissioner urged us to support him, and he will honour we the elders. We accepted and left the office. We all took pictures together and left together.
‘Ajagungbade noticed we’ve not eaten. So, took us to an eatery in Mayfair Garage to buy food for us.’ He said.
Gbadegesin recounted how former Osun NURTW chairman stormed the venue with some other officials of his faction and hoodlums who opened fire at the crowd in the eatery.
Olalekan was reportedly tracked to his hideout, where he ran to during the attack. and shot by the armed assailants.
‘We were at the eatery when Nurudeen Alowonle, the former state chairman, and Olayemi Ojo who also known as Sibi, stormed the place with armed men who were Sibi’s boys.
‘They opened fire on the crowd, leaving many injured. Emir was tracked to his hideout where he was killed.
‘He was rushed to Osogbo.’ Gbadegsin said.
On his part, Kareem Akeem, the leader of the Mayfair 1 Branch, recounted how he was invited to the meeting with the commissioner for transportation.
‘I was going to church this morning when my boss, Asiyanbi, called me that he has a visitor and they need to meet with the commissioner for transport at Modakeke.
‘He asked me to follow them. While my boss and others were holding the meeting with the commissioner, the rest of us were left outside.
‘At the end of the meeting, they came outside and we took pictures together. One our way back to Ile-Ife, those who came from Ilesa parted with us as they head back to Ilesa.’ He said.
Kazeem also recalled how they stopped-by at Mayfair to get food for those who were hungry.
While he was outside the eatery to attend to somebody, Kazeem claimed seeing Sibi arriving at the eatery with a mask on his face.
He recalled being allegedly told by Sibi to leave the park as he challenged the former chairman.
‘Meanwhile, some of those who followed us back to Ile-Ife said they were hungry. We told them there is food at Mayfair motor park. That was how they came to Mayfair to eat.
‘I stepped out of the eatry to meet someone asking of me. I was still outside when I saw Sibi who is the chairman of mini-bus operators in Sabo-Lagere.
‘He was putting a mask and he told me to leave when I challenged him. He also told one guy called Micheal to leave the garage. While Micheal was still demanding to know why he should leave the pack, Sibi turned back and brought in those he came with.
‘They were all wearing black, including the former state chairman, Nurudeen. and his gang.
‘They pulled out guns and started shooting sporadically. We all scampered for safety and didn’t really know the gravity of the attack.
‘We later learnt that the assailants had accident on their way out of the park.’ He said.
