By Levinus Nwabughiogu, Dayo Johnson, Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Ozioruva Aliu & Nnamdi Ojiego
Outrage greeted, yesterday, the abduction and killing of Olajide Felix Sowore, younger brother of the Publisher of Sahara Reporters and convener of Revolution Now Movement, Omoyele Sowore.
This happened just as Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State vowed to get security agencies to investigate the murder and bring perpetrators to book.
Among those outraged by the murder are Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN; the Minority Leader of the House of Reps, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu; the senator representing Ondo South, Nicholas Tofowomo, and human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN, amongst others.
READ ALSO: Keyamo commiserates with Sowore over brother’s murder
The killing apparently underscored the heightening insecurity in the country that has seen even school children being abducted by bandits and killed.
The Sahara Reporters Publisher had, in a statement early yesterday, announced that his “immediate younger brother, Olajide Sowore, was shot and killed near Okada, Edo State by reportedly herdsmen /kidnappers on his way from Igbinedion University where he was studying pharmacy.”
Edo State Police Command confirmed the incident.
The Command’s spokesman, Bello Kontongs disclosed that, in addition to killing the younger Sowere, the suspected kidnappers abducted five unidentified persons.
Kontongs said: “This is to confirm to you that suspected kidnappers at about 0645hrs along Lagos-Benin Expressway by Isuwa, kidnapped five unidentified persons and on (sic) the process shot to death one Sowore Felix Olajide, male, a pharmacy student of Igbinedion University, Okada. His remains have been deposited at IUTH mortuary, Okada, while effort is ongoing to rescue the five kidnap victims.”
Obaseki, in a statement, vowed that efforts would be intensified to bring the culprits to book.
“The news of Olajide’s death is heartbreaking and we will make all efforts to bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to justice,” the Edo governor said..
“On behalf of the people and Government of Edo State, I condole with the Sowore family and pray that God will grant all the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”
Keyamo commiserates
Keyamo, in a condolence letter to the human rights activist, urged him to take heart and remain committed to helping the nation to find a lasting solution to some of its numerous challenges.
He called on law enforcement agencies to work hard to fish out those behind the dastardly act.
‘Govt overwhelmed, helpless’
The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives, Elumelu, condemned the unabating killing of Nigerians, particularly youths.
A statement by Elumelu urged the police to immediately fish out the killers of the pharmacy student
“It is indeed heartbreaking that our nation’s promising young ones are being daily felled and maimed by bandits, terrorists and kidnappers who are now freely marauding our country, while the government looks overwhelmed and helpless,” he said.
Govt has failed —Falana
Reacting, Falana said the latest killing has, once again, confirmed that nobody was safe in Nigeria.
He wrote: “It is extremely disturbing but all these developments confirm that nobody is safe in the country. That is why we all have to redouble our efforts in getting out people to defend themselves because that is where we are.
“The government has failed. Apart from verbal assurances from the government, from the presidency, where everybody is for himself and God for all of us, and when it gets to that stage, you have to mobilise the people to defend themselves and that’s where we are.”
‘National disgrace’
In his condolence message, the senator representing Ondo South at the Senate, Nicholas Tofowomo, lamented that evil men have just stopped a good heart from beating.
Tofowomo, in a statement in Akure by his Special Assistant, Olumide Akinrinlola, described the murder as a national disgrace.
MURIC charges police
Meanwhile, an Islamic human rights advocacy group, Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, condemned the killing of the Pharmacy student.
The group, in a statement by its Director and founder, Professor Ishaq Akintola, charged the police and other security agencies to find the killers of Olajide Felix Sowore.
Vanguard News Nigeria
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