Kehinde Fasoranti, one of the sons of Reuben Fasoranti, Afenifere leader, has countered claims by security operatives that bandits were responsible for the death of Mrs. Olufunke Olakunrin.
Mrs. Olakunrin, daughter of Pa Fasoranti, was reportedly killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen along Benin-Ore highway while returning to Lagos after visiting her father in Akure, the Ondo state capital, on Friday.
Undie Adie, Commissioner of Police in Ondo State had on Saturday stated that those who killed Mrs. Olakunrin were bandits and not herdsmen.
“All we know is that these are bandits that came to the road and started firing sporadically at motorists that were driving on the highway.
“That is what it is, there is no person that can say specifically that they were herdsmen. What we know is that they are bandits and we are going after them,” he said.
However, Kehinde, who recovered the corpse of his late sister from Ore, told journalists that some police officers he met at Ore police station confirmed to him that the late Olakurin was killed by Fulani herdsmen.
“We need to get the story straight. The way they operated, according to what the police said, is the way herdsmen operate,” he said.
“Six people were in front shooting at them. The driver put the car in reverse but unknown to him, some men were in the bush and started shooting from the side and at the back. The story that these are just bandits is a lie. If you want records, request the report I made at the Ore police station. They categorically said the attackers were herdsmen.
“It’s about time we stood up and fight back. Nobody is protecting us. Eventually, they will come inside the house and kidnap people.
“Enough is enough. We can’t continue like this. I want the police to retract what they said. They (attackers) are Fulani herdsmen,” he reiterated.
Meanwhile, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), condemned and distance itself from the killing of Mrs. Olakunrin. The group also lambasted the media for attributing the killing to herdsmen.
