Yoruba sociology-cultural organisation, Afenifere, has expressed displeasure over the manner in which the Nigeria Police Force is handling investigations into the murder of Mrs Olufunke Olakunnrin, daughter of its leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti.
The group in a communique on Sunday, claimed that the police have been treating the case lackadaisically.
“It’s now over two months that Mrs Olufunke Olakunnrin, the daughter of Afenifere Leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, was murdered around Ore in Ondo State and we are compelled to speak out over the lackadaisical attitude of the police over the gruesome assassination,” the group said.
According to the statement signed by its spokesman, Mr Yinka Odumakin, Afenifere claimed that there were various signs which suggest that the police have not made any attempt to launch a serious investigation into the murder.
“The first sign we got that there was no attempt to launch any serious investigation into the murder was when the car in which she was killed was released to the family from Ore police station the day after the murder without any forensic investigation into the most prized evidence at the scene of the crime.
“It was when we engaged the police high command that they came to pick the car six days later. The car has now been returned to the family with no report on the examination report.
“Indeed there was no attempt to carry out any autopsy on the corpse until we also demanded one from the police before the burial. One was carried out and only that report was given to the family when they went to collect the car.
“Beyond this, the police have not made any briefing to the family on their investigations into this dastardly act,” the group stated.
The Afenifere said that the situation was a troubling one, adding that the group was seeing in Olakurin’s case, all the signs of lethargy that usually attend high profile murders with powerful masterminds in the country.
The group urged all well meaning Nigerians and persons all over the world to join them in asking the police to find find Olakunrin’s killers and bring them to justice.
Below is a full statement of the Afenifere’s position as regards the death of Mrs Olufunke Olakunnrin.
It’s now over two months that Mrs Olufunke Olakunnrin,the daughter of Afenifere Leader ,Chief Reuben Fasoranti was murdered around Ore in Ondo State and we are compelled to speak out over the lackadaisical attitude of the police over the gruesome assassination.
Mr Kehinde Fasoranti,the junior brother of the deceased had stated openly a day after the incident that the police in Ore told him the sister was killed by Fulani herdsmen when he went to collect her body the day she was killed and challenged the police to bring out the statement he wrote at their station .They have not contradicted him till date .
The first sign we got that there was no attempt to launch any serious investigation into the murder was when the car in which she was killed was released to the family from Ore police station the day after the murder without any forensic investigation into the most prized evidence at the scene of the crime. It was when we engaged the police high command that they came to pick the car six days later. The car has now been returned to the family with no report on the examination report.
Indeed there was no attempt to carry out any autopsy on the corpse until we also demanded one from the police before the burial .One was carried out and only that report was given to the family when they went to collect the car.
Beyond this,the police has not made any briefing to the family on their investigations into this dastardly act.
There are other bizarre developments that worry us on police investigations into this murder .
For instance ,the driver of the car in which Mrs Olakunrin was killed has not been asked a question by the police till date.
Furthermore ,a few days after the killing ,a staff of the deceased’ husband ,Bankole Olatunbosun was arrested as he was said to be in touch with Mr Olakunrin’s driver,Femi Ajayi who drove the Sienna bus in the deceased convoy. A week after the killing ,Femi was brought into the family house in Akure by police officers in the anti-kidnap unit .
The story from the crime scene was that Femi got down from the Sienna bus and followed the gunmen who killed Mrs Olakunrin .He claimed he was kidnapped but there is no evidence of ransom requested from him or his family.He and Bankole Olatunbosun are now free men. Femi even sauntered into the Fasoranti family house three days ago.
All the above put together suggest to us clearly that the police have not done any serious investigations into this murder .And it worries us that we are seeing all the signs of lethargy that usually attend high profile murders with powerful masterminds in our country.
Afenifere therefore calls on all those who respect human lives in Nigeria and across the world to join us in asking the police and by extension the authors of “where are the cows?”:WHERE ARE THE KILLERS OF FUNKE OLAKUNNRIN?
Yinka Odumakin
National Publicity Secretary
Afenifere.