Lawyer Lauds Police Over Arrest of Oyo Lawmaker’s Suspected Killer

…Calls for Probe Into Other Political Murders

An Ibadan-based lawyer, Barrister Olumuyiwa Afolabi, has commended the Oyo State Police Command for the arrest of a suspect linked to the 2016 assassination of 41-year-old lawmaker, Hon. Gideon Aremu, describing it as a significant breakthrough, urging security agencies to intensify efforts to unearth those behind other unresolved political killings in the state.

Hon. Aremu, who represented Oorelope State Constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly under the Labour Party (LP), was gunned down by a three-man gang on 1 July 2016 in front of his residence at Alaakia area of Ibadan.

Late lawmaker, Hon. Gideon Aremu

A vocal opposition figure, he served as Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Public Relations and Security before his untimely death.

Following the murder, the Oyo Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu, had vowed to bring the killers to justice. Over a year later, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Odude, announced that a breakthrough had been recorded.

CP Odude revealed that the arrested suspect had fled to his hometown in Ekiti State after the incident and had been on the police wanted list ever since. His arrest came after he re-entered Ibadan quietly and led a gang to snatch a motorcycle in the Egbeda area of the city. It was during investigations into the robbery that detectives linked him to Aremu’s killing.

Reacting to the arrest, Barrister Afolabi, who spoke from an undisclosed location, praised the diligence of the police and described the development as “a step in the right direction.” However, he called for a broader and more thorough investigation into the killing, which he insisted bore clear political undertones.

“The arrest is commendable, but we must go deeper. Hon. Gideon Aremu’s killing was politically motivated. It’s time the police cast their net wider to ensure that not just the trigger men, but also the masterminds, are brought to justice,” Afolabi said.

The legal practitioner also highlighted a troubling pattern, noting that another opposition leader and grassroots politician, Hon. Busari Adelabu, was assassinated in Ibadan two years before Aremu’s murder. He revealed that his pursuit of justice for the late Busari had exposed him and his family to grave danger.

“In the course of investigating Hon. Busari’s murder — who was my client — my law office was attacked. My security guard, Mr Sunday John, and my secretary, Miss Sandra Kingsley, were killed. My home was also targeted, but by sheer providence, my family and I were not present. The assailants slaughtered my security dogs instead,” he recounted with emotion.

Afolabi stressed that justice must not remain elusive, referencing the high-profile assassination of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Chief Bola Ige, in Ibadan in 2001, which remains unresolved to date.

“We can’t continue like this. When those behind political killings are allowed to walk free, it emboldens others and threatens our democracy. The police have shown that with commitment, results can come. They must now pursue every lead and expose the forces behind these killings,” he urged.