More facts have emerged over the murder of an Owo High Chief, Tunde Ilori who was gruesomely killed three months ago during a communal assignment.
Before his death, Ilori, was the Elerewe of Owo Kingdom.
It will be recalled that a rape suspect was arrested in the town with three AK 47 rifles and further interrogation led to the arrest of five suspects, including a prominent business man suspected to have financed the murder operation.
Sources said the rape suspect had sexually assaulted a secondary school student before being apprehended by the police for the alleged murder.
Upon his arrest, the police reportedly searched his house and found some lethal weapons.
The suspect was said to have confessed that he kept the lethal weapons at home after the murder of Chief Ilori, the Elewere of Owo, after which he led the police in the arrest of other suspects.
“Hon. Oluwole Folahanmi was released after the police had conducted search on Oluwole Folahanmi’s house in Owo while other arrested persons are still in police custody.
In his reaction to the allegation in December, 2022, Barrister Olatunbosun Aganun, posited that the police exercise their discretionary powers in favour of the former Local Government Chairman when it was revealed from preliminary police investigation that Hon. Oluwole Folahanmi is not involved in any complicity as per the murder case.
Aganun said, “It is pertinent to state that you don’t ground indictment of anybody in criminal investigation based on mere suspicion”; stressing further that Hon. Oluwole Folahanmi cannot be indicted over the murder of late Tunde Ilori Elerewe just because he (Oluwole Folahanmi) contested Elerewe Chieftaincy title against the deceased person eleven(11) years ago.
I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT KILLING —Folahanmi
Speaking with our correspondent in Akure on 31st March, 2022, the former Chairman of Owo Local Government, Hon Oluwole Folahanmi who was allegedly accused of being involved in the murder of Elewere said all rumours being peddled on social media are all lies.
Hon. Oluwole Folahanmi was released by the police on thursday after investigations so far exonerated him.
Folahanmi popularly known as ‘ULTIMATE’ said he doesn’t have any hand in the death of the Elewere, saying that the deceased is his blood relation.
While narrating his relationship with the deceased, he said himself, the deceased and three other members of the family contested the stool of Elewere.
“When the election was conducted, I won the election. So, in the process of presentation, I was presented to Olowo as the choice of the family, but Olowo refused to do the installation. He said the presentation does not go down well with him because of on his in-laws contested with us.
“For almost seven years after the death of my father in 2010, Olowo (late Oba Folagbade Olateru Olagbegi) refused to do the installation. In 2017, without the consent of the family and without notifying anybody from Owo, we just heard in the news that (then) Olowo had installed his in-law (Ilori) as the Elerewe.
“Instead of causing crisis or violence in the town, nothing was done and we allowed peace to reign,” he said.
While exonerating himself from the murder, Folahanmi said “It was on December last year that he was shot dead. It was a sad thing for me because we are blood relation. Since then, people started accusing me because I contested with him.
“He was coming from a land dispute settlement and was waylaid on the road, why would people be mentioning my name to be involved in his death.”
He said police began investigating the death of Elewere and he was invited, adding that the State Director of Public Prosecution, DPP cleared him from the allegations.
Folahanmi said on Monday, March 28, 2022, he was invited to the AIG’S office over the murder of Elewere.
He said one of his associates, Olanrewaju Dedegun confirmed to him that one Otunba Owadasa from Uso (a town in Owo local government area and former Vice Chairman of the Council under Folahanmi) allegedly called him to testify against him (Folahanmi) over the murder.
The former Council Boss said immediately Dedegun informed him about the issue, it was reported at the AIG’S office in Akure.
Folahanmi said Owadasa’s alleged accusation against him was personal due to their working relation when he was the chairman.
He said Owadasa who claimed to be searching for the killer of late Chief Ilori had allegedly entered the family farm and fell economic trees worth N15 million.
He said Owadasa is going around in the deceased vehicles claiming to be helping the family over the death of Ilori.
Also speaking after reporting the issue at the AIG’s office, Dedegun explained that one Owadasa called him to testify against Folahanmi over the death of Ilori.
“One Owadasa called me that he wants to do business with me. He said I should come and be a witness against ‘ULTIMATE’ and I asked how much he will give me. He said I will become a multi-millionaire if I do the business.
“After that, I contacted my lawyer because the proposed business is very dangerous. He didn’t mention the amount to me, he sent money to me twice but I rejected it”, he said.
OWADASA DENIES ALLEGATION
Meanwhile, Pastor Olusola Owadasa, the man the former chairman of Owo Local Government Oluwole Folahanmi said one of his associates Olarewaju Dedeigbo (not Dedegun as reported) claimed asked him to testify against the former chairman, has described as untrue, fabrication and lie from the pit hell as there was no time he told Dedeigbo to do so.
Owadasa also said despite the fact that he never had a smooth working relationship with his former boss during their tenure, he never hold any grudge against him.
According to the former Vice Chairman of Owo Local Government, the late High Chief Tunde Ilori was is personal friend and he was so sad to have lost him.
He disclosed that all he has done was to stay close to the family.
He stated that he got to know the said Olarewaju Dedeigbo through an elderly person and there was no time he send money to him to testify against Folahanmi.
He further added that all the conversation he had with the said Dedeigbo were all recorded and within the knowledge of the Investigating police officer of the case.
Owadasa also denied the allegation by Folahanmi that he felled trees worth 15 million naira in the farm of Elerewe family.
Similarly, he said nobody ever gave or is giving him money to help fish out the killers of the late Elerewe.
Owadasa queried why his former boss should allege him of giving money to someone else to testify against him when he is not in anyway a party to the case.
