Oyo commissioner escapes death, assailants kill driver

The Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Survey in Oyo state, Mr Abdulraheem Abiodun, was on Thursday attacked by some unknown gunmen killing his driver.

 The police spokesman, Mr Gbenga Fadeyi, noted that the fleeing assailants who attacked the commissioner at the Academy area of Ibadan, the state capital, also shot the police orderly attached to Abiodun.

Fadeyi said, “The incident occurred around 8.30pm on Wednesday and the police commissioner has directed that the fleeing armed men be apprehended.

“They killed the driver and also shot the police orderly attached to the Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Survey. They will be tracked and arrested to face prosecution.”

A government source said the sad development would be thoroughly investigated especially coming 24 hours after Governor Seyi Makinde launched 100 vehicles to aid security patrol in the state.

An eyewitness also told our correspondent that the commissioner and a team of sympathisers rushed the deceased to the Accident and Emergency unit of the University College Hospital on Wednesday night.

“I saw the commissioner making calls to the governor telling him about what happened to him and his aides. The governor ostensibly ordered the security adviser to immediately proceed to the UCH because it was not quite long after the call, that he (adviser) arrived.

“The motive behind this attack could not be ascertained “as these armed men after attacking the convoy reportedly took away the gun belonging to the wounded police officer,” he added.