Politics

Police arrests Faleke’s ‘brother’ after criticizing Bello

Published

8 years ago

March 22, 2016

There seem not to be an end to the crisis plaguing Kogi State, as reports say tension is mounting in the state over the arrest of Mr. Funsho Olumoko in the early hours of the day by the police.

Olumoko, who was arrested in his hometown, Ekirin-Adde, in Ijumu Local Government Area of the state, was a former chairman of the local government and a close ally of Hon. James Abiodun Falake, the running mate to late Audu Ababakar.

Both Faleke and Olumoko are from the same town and are more like brothers than political associates.
Faleke is currently before the Kogi State Governorship Election Tribunal, challenging Governor Bello’s return as the governor of the state.

According to reports, Olumoko, who had become outspoken against the administration of Bello, was arrested at about 1.30am on Tuesday and taken to an unknown destination.

Sources in Ekirin-Adde said the heavily armed policemen came in four Hilux vehicles, scaled the fence, and broke the door and ceiling before taking him away.

Olumoko’s arrest is coming barely a day after he addressed a press conference, alerting the public of plans by Governor Bello to repaint and rename a health centre built in 2007 and have it commissioned by his wife today.

Olumoko said at the press conference: “There is no justification for whatsoever visit by Alhaji Yahaya Bello or his wife to our community now, in view of the circumstances surrounding the mandate which he presently holds, the status of our son, Hon. J A Faleke, in the last governorship election as the perceived rightful owner of the governorship mandate, and consequently the likely security implication of such a visit to Hon Faleke’s home town under the prevailing circumstances.

“The idea of the visit was fraudulently conceived to find an excuse by Alhaji Yahaya Bello to rub insult on the injury inflicted on us as a community by the daylight robbery of the mandate freely given to Audu/Faleke joint ticket of which our son, Hon J A Faleke is the only living rightful custodian of that mandate.

“The health centre was constructed with a collaborative effort of the federal and Ijumu local governments in 2007 during the tenure of Prof Eyitayo Lambo as the Hon Minister of Health”, he said.

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