Gunmen, suspected to be armed robbers on Wednesday afternoon reportedly shot dead the Director of Finance and Accounts, attached to the Ogun State Governor’s office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Mr. Taiwo Oyekanmi.
Newsmen gathered that Mr. Oyekanmi was gunned down on top of the NNPC Bridge, along Oke-Mosan road, while returning from the bank where he had gone to make withdrawals in preparation for Thursday’s budget presentation by the governor.
He was said to have been rushed to the State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, where he was pronounced dead.
Two top civil servants at the Governor’s Office in Abeokuta, who spoke with newsmen under the condition of anonymity, said the incident has thrown the Secretariat into a mourning mood.
Confirming the incident, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Alamutu, said police is on the trail of the hoodlums.
Alamutu said, “This afternoon, the accountant, the Director of Finance with driver and one other person left for Fidelity Bank to make some withdrawal. They went with a homemade bullion van. They were supposed to have a police escort, but for certain reasons, the person was permitted to travel to attend to some issues, so consequently he was not part of the movement.
“According to the story, after making the withdrawal, and on their way back to the office, they were accosted. A vehicle blocked them on top of the NNPC bridge, five occupants of the vehicle came down, shot at the Director and from their vehicle, brought out a sledgehammer to force the receptacle where the money was kept open and they left with the money.
“As at that time, there was no information, the police escort was not with the team and they sped off.
“The driver claimed to have trailed them to a point along the Conference Hotel where he lost contact with them.
“The director that was shot was thereafter taken to the State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, where he eventually gave up the ghost.
“For our investigation, I have directed the Area Commander to get in touch with the bank and request for the CCTV footage which will give us insight into the vehicle in question and possibly identify the culprits if they ever ventured to step out of the vehicle or maybe they just maintained their position in the vehicle.
“I have reached out to Lagos and everywhere in the command to block all the exits out of the state, while we are trying to identify them because they said they were five and they used hood”.
