Chief Okuneye, a septuagenarian, was said to have just finished reading the Bible lesson for the day in church when the gun men stormed the church, headed to where he sat and shot him in the head in the presence of the pastor and members of the congregation. How heartless can men be:
It was said that the late Chief Okuneye had metaphysical power, and that it was for this reason that the assailants waited for him to go to church after he would have removed the charms protecting him and their game plan worked out...
According to Vanguard, it was revealed that the chief may have stepped on the toes of some powerful people who vowed to take his life. Security sources disclosed that the killing of a cult leader in Ijebu-North, simply identified as ‘Ajango’, in Oru, on March 30, led to the chief's assassination one week after.
Okuneye was a furniture maker of 50 years experience who rose to become the Chairman of Cabinet Makers Association in Ijebu North and later Zonal Chairman, Ijebu Division and Vice-Chairman of the association between 1980 and 1990.
It was learnt that after his retirement from furniture making, he became a community leader and was made the Chairman of the local security outfit otherwise known as vigilante in Oke-Sopen where he lived. He was also made the leader of the security group for Ijebu-Igbo after which he was promoted to be the overall Chairman of the vigilante in Ijebu North comprising Ijebu-Igbo, Ago-Iwoye among others.
Soon after he became leader of the vigilante in the area, he focused more on Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU, Ago Iwoye, where he reportedly led an onslaught on cultists.
When Governor Ibikunle Amosun became governor three years ago, he held meetings with Chief Okuneye on the insecurity in the area. The meeting led to ‘Operation submit your guns and be pardoned’ in Ijebu North. The governor gave hoodlums, reportedly equipped with guns by politicians during the 2011 elections, an ultimatum to hand over their guns and be pardoned or refuse and be arrested.
At that period, Ijebu-Igbo had become a haven for criminals to the extent that for close to one year, no bank opened to customers because of incessant attacks. It was learnt that the governor subsequently made the septuagenarian his informant in the axis.
Further investigation revealed that Ijebu-North had been without a paramount ruler since 26 years ago when the last Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo joined his ancestors. The other first class Obas in different sections of Ijebu were said to have been concerned about security in their domains only.
Vanguard gathered that the vacuum made Ijebu North prone to crime. Some residents said cultism reduced in the area as a result of the efforts of Chief Okuneye.
According to a resident, the vigilante outfit leader successfully flushed cultists out of the area including OOU. He also ‘punished’ landlords that harboured cultists in their houses. Vanguard, however, learnt that the last straw that broke the camel’s back was the death of one of the leaders of the cult groups in the area in the hands of Chief Okuneye’s vigilante outfit.
“He incurred the wrath of the ‘big boys’ in the area following his role in the killing of the notorious guy, Ajango, at Oru about a week before he died. Consequent upon Ajango’s death, his boys reportedly began to trail the vigilant outfit’s leader. They made attempt on his life four times. He was said to have been shot at close range on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, but he escaped before they got him in church that Sunday”, a source who was close to the deceased told Vanguard.
“His blood littered the floor and all of us including our pastor lay face-down while the attack lasted,” he said.
A top government source said: "This was a man who did his best on security of lives and property as a way of serving humanity. As a government, we will do our best to ensure that the perpetrators of this act are brought to justice”
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