Senate Condemns Killing of Redeemed Pastor, Tasks Police to Find Killers

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

The Senate yesterday condemned the brutal killing of a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) pastor, Mrs. Eunice Olawale, on Saturday in Kubwa, Abuja and tasked the security agents to immediately ensure the arrest of killers.

Moving a motion through Order 43 in the Senate Standing Rules, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos West), lamented that aimless killings have continued to be on the rise in Nigeria, noting that the trend is in contradiction to Sections 33, 38, 39 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution which provide that lives are sacrosanct.

In the motion, Tinubu condoled with the family of the late Mrs. Olawale, observing that she cried for help when the assailants attacked her but none came as she tasked Nigerians to cultivate the culture of responding to distress calls. The Senate observed one minute silence in her honour.
In the motion, Tinubu said: “The Senate notes the gruesome murder of deaconess Eunice Mojisola Olawale, a woman preacher who was gruesomely killed on Saturday 9th July, 2016 at about 5am at Kubwa FCT, Abuja. The Senate is saddened by the unfortunate incident which turned the husband into a widower and seven children motherless.

“The Senate recalls that Eunice Olawale had been into early morning preaching for years without complaints from any quarters. The Senate is saddened that on this fateful day as she was being attacked and shouting for help, no one came to her rescue.

“The Senate observes that unwarranted killings are becoming rampant in Nigeria. The Senate observes further that it is unlawful to take another life of a citizen as enshrined in chapter four Sections 33, 38, 39 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

“The Senate urged members of the public to always respond to distress calls anytime at least calling emergency police numbers where they cannot physically intervene. The Senate accordingly urged governments at all levels to provide more security facilities like close circuit (CCT) cameras at nooks and cranies of Nigeria and that the Senate urged the police and other security agencies to intensify their investigation at arresting and prosecuting those who committed such heinous crimes,” she added.

In his remark, Senate President Bukola Saraki, said the brutal killing of the pastor was of great concern to everyone, regretting that lives are being gruesomely cut short in Nigeria whereas other countries jealously protect their citizens as he tasked the security agencies to ensure they arrest the culprits and bring them to book.