Gunmen Kill Ekiti Prince in Hotel

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

As Ekiti State Government recently resolved the lingering crisis in Oke Ako Ekiti in Ikole Local Government area of Ekiti State over the death of an indigene alleged to have been shot by suspected herdsmen , another resident of the town was killed by gunmen on Saturday.

The man identified as prince Dare Ogunbiyi, a native of the town was murdered in his hotel named Olainukan Hotel located on Irele-Ekiti Road, Oke Ako .

Sources confirmed that the deceased is the son of the late king of the town, Oba Omotayo Ogunbiyi.

It was gathered from an eyewitness, who identified himself as Dayo that the two gunmen caught the victim unawares while he was discussing with an unnamed staff within the hotel premises.

Dare was said to have made spirited efforts to escape but was unlucky to escape the scene.

“The two men were wearing masks. On sighting them, he tried to run away but the assailants pursued him and opened fire on him.

“The bullet caught him in the belly and he fell down in the process.
He died from loss of blood while the assailants disappeared from the scene into the bush.”

Another eyewitness accounts said the assailants were six in number and came on foot.

“After killing Dare in his hotel, the assailants disappeared into the bush. They neither came in a vehicle nor rode bikes.”

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ekiti, Alberto Adeyemi, said he had been informed of the attack but was awaiting briefing from the Divisional Police Officer.

Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen had last year killed Lekan Arosanyin and Olomi Ibiteye in an attack carried out on the sleeping town around 8pm.

The gruesome killing of the persons led to the enactment of anti-open grazing law passed by the state government to regulate the activities of Fulani cattle rearers.