FRESH facts emerged yesterday on the assassination of the World Bank consultant and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial aspirant in Ekiti State, late Dr. Ayodeji Daramola, when it was revealed that one of the calls received by the late politician was traced to a girl in Ikere-Ekiti. A police sergeant, Michael Isichei, had disclosed this when he appeared before an Ado-Ekiti High Court.

Standing trial for their alleged involvement in the killing of Daramola, who was murdered on August 14, 2006 were former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees member, Dayo Okondo, Personal Assistant to former Governor Ayo Fayose, Goke Olatunji, Segun Balogun, Busuyi Aladesanmi, Emeka Andrew, Daniel Ukaegbu and Aina Ayorinde.

While Mr. Ahmed Tafa was counsel to the first accused person, Mr. Dele Omotoso stood as counsel to the second accused person and Mr. K.S. Adegun represented the third to eight accused persons.

Isichei, who appeared before Justice Ayodeji Daramola to state all he knows about the investigation of the assassination of Daramola claimed that the girl confessed that the phone she used to call Daramola’s line belonged to her boyfriend.

Led in evidence by the prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, Isichei, who was attached to the Police ‘ A’ Division in Akure, revealed that he was among the officers commissioned by the then Commissioner of Police in Ondo State to investigate the circumstances surrounding the gruesome killing of Daramola.

Affirming that investigation had commenced before he joined the team, he explained that the team of investigators requested for a printout of the call log on Daramola’s Glo line, which revealed that the mobile phone belonging to the slain politician was called by three MTN lines shortly after he was murdered in cold blood.

The teams of investigators according to the police witness recorded a breakthrough on October 13, 2006, when one of the numbers that called Daramola’s line was traced to a girl in Ikere-Ekiti.

The girl, who was later located, claimed that the number belonged to her boyfriend when she was quizzed on the identity of the owner of the number.

He told the court that the girl’s boyfriend was subsequently arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), in Ado-Ekiti, but was later taken to Akure where a statement was obtained from him and he
allegedly confessed to have gone to Ijan Ekiti, the country home of the slain politician.

Isichei, under evidence-in-chief, told the court that the boyfriend in his statement confessed that he went to the home of Daramola along with other members of a gang to carry out a robbery operation, saying the suspect mentioned the names of all members of the gang, who were later arrested and detained at SCID in Ado-Ekiti for other offences before they were later taken to Akure where they made statements.

Isichei revealed that having received briefings from the then Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, they were able to get Glo SIM card of Daramola which was taken to the head office of the mobile telecommunications in Lagos in furtherance of their investigation.

Their findings further revealed that Daramola was called at fifteen different times on three different MTN lines shortly after the brutal killing of the World Bank consultant in his bedroom, listing them to include nine times at the first instance, three times in the second instance and another three times in the last instance.

The police witness also added that the investigation team in a bid to establish the identity of the callers from the three MTN lines contacted the Corporate Head Office of MTN Communications in Lagos where they were obliged the printouts of the numbers in question.

Isichei revealed that after the third accused person (Olanipekun) made his statement on October 13, 2006, he (Olanipekun) signified his intention to write another statement on October 17 of the same year before one Sergeant Hanson Richard, saying Olanipekun claimed that it was the 1st accused person (Goke Olatunji, Personal Assistant to the former Governor Ayo Fayose) that sent him on an errand to assassinate Daramola.

The witness explained that the two statements (from Olanipekun) were taken to a senior police officer, Jimoh Dojumo, a Superintendent, for endorsement at the Special Anti-Robbery Section (SARS) annexe in Akure, adding that Olanipekun was kept at SARS cell between October 13 and 17, 2006.

But Olanipekun persistently denied the statement, claiming that he gave the statement under duress.

Under cross-examination, Isichei admitted writing the statement for the accused and that he couldn’t know whether the accused person could write in English or not, but later admitted that he was aware that the suspect did not go beyond primary school and that SARS is not the same with the Police Homicide Section.

He also denied that the suspect was tortured while in detention.

The case was adjourned to October 24, for further hearing.



http://www.nigeriancompass.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5488:call-on-slain-daramolas-line-traced-to-girl-in-ikere-ekiti-says-police-witness-archive&catid=54:nigeria-today&Itemid=594

Hope this has nothing to do with our NL Ekiti gal

High_Chief:

Hope this has nothing to do with our NL Ekiti gal 

of course it does.

Who is "our" to be precise? Senseless Okija goat.

And here she comes, thank God i dont have your number.

Something that happened about 20 years ago and all they could get from the investigation is a traced call?. Gosh, shouldn't they have ascertained that 1 day after his assassination?.