Ekiti deputy gov denies role in PHCN official's murder
From Ifedayo Sayo, Ado-Ekiti

FOLLOWING rumours that the slain General Manager (Finance and Administration), Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Mr. Kehinde Fasubaa, was assassinated for political reason, the state deputy governor, Dr. Sikiru Lawal, has denied having hand in his murder.

Also, the family of the deceased has accused the state police boss, Mr. Chris Ola, of professional misconduct in the handling of investigation into the murder.

The family has, therefore, asked the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, to replace Ola with a competent police officer to unmask those behind the killing of their son.

Fasubaa, before his demise, was rumoured to be nursing senatorial ambition which Lawal was equally alleged to be interested in. Fasubaa was an indigene of Ado-Ekiti where Lawal hails from.

Denying the allegation that his boss masterminded the killing of Fasubaa, Special Assistant on Public Communications to Lawal, Mr. Joseph Ogunsemi, said Lawal could not have contemplated killing Fasubaa for any reason.

Ogunsemi noted that since the death of Fasubaa, he has been inundated with text messages and phone calls that Lawal allegedly masterminded the killing over the 2011 election.

He added: "I wish to state categorically that my boss, a sitting deputy governor, could never have been part of such dastardly act".

He said five days after the murder, the police boss has not visited the scene of the incident.

"Dr. Lawal has unabashed antecedents. He is a man of proven integrity and has never exhibited traits of criminality or displayed criminal tendencies.

"The deputy governor's pre-occupation for now is to complement the efforts of Governor Segun Oni in implementing the various people-inclined programmes.

"It must be stated clearly that the sharing of political positions in 2011 is not yet the contemplation of the deputy governor. Even if he has interest in going for the Senate in 2011, he does not have to eliminate a promising son like Kehinde Fasubaa or anybody for that matter", he stated.

Ogunsemi added that such allegation against the deputy governor is callous and can only come from people who do not wish the Oni administration and Ekiti people well.

He commiserated with the Fasubaa family on the murder of Kehinde Fasubaa and urged law enforcement agencies to carry out investigations on the murder.

Speaking with journalists yesterday, the head of Fasubaa family, Elder Yemi Fasubaa and the twin brother of the deceased, Mr. Taye Fasubaa, said the state police boss was not competent to handle the investigations into the murder, alleging a lackadaisical approach.

Both of them claimed to have visited the Commissioner of Police yesterday but were snubbed by Ola after two hours of waiting in his office.

Elder Fasubaa said that when they eventually saw the commissioner, he was asking them to go and call the Assistant Commissioner of Police, CID.

But Ola, who claimed that police investigation was progressing, said anyone with useful information should come forward and assist the police.