The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Hafiz Ringim, has ordered the Commissioner of Police (CP), Oyo State, Baba Adisa Bolanta, to arrest and detain the Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, for the alleged murder of factional chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state, Alhaji Abdul Lateef Salako (a.k.a. Eleweomo).
Salako was murdered on Thursday in Ibadan.
Ringim, who gave the order on Friday in Abuja, said that Folarin should be arrested wherever he was whether in Ibadan or Abuja.
According to informed sources, the IGP gave the order during his management team meeting held to review the situation in Ibadan, declaring that no law permitted Folarin to be going about with mobile policemen.
He directed that after the arrest, investigations should be carried out about him.
The Inspector General was further quoted as saying that there is no law that allows him to kill, as his immunity only covers him while sitting in the chambers of the Senate.
He warned that this madness must stop if the country wanted to grow, declaring that no one without authority could be moving around with gunmen to intimidate people.
The IGP further added that the step being taken by the police was to serve as a warning to politicians not to go to polling centres with policemen during elections.
Ringim, who was upset by the development, noted that all those involved in the killing of Eleweomo must be brought to book.
The NURTW factional leader was killed inside the IDC Primary School, Olunloyo in Ona Ara Local Government Area of the state during the second leg of the PDP congress ordered by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
The IGP further said that nobody was above the law, and as such the law must take its course in this case, adding: “We will not allow innocent blood to be spilled all in the name of politics.”
Meanwhile, two people including a councillor in Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State have been arrested in connection with the killing of Eleweomo.
Bolanta told Saturday Tribune in Ibadan on Friday that the suspects were arrested by a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area.
The police commissioner, who disclosed that investigation was still on, threatened that anybody found to have been involved in the murder, no matter his position in the society, would be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law.
According to him, the PDP congress at the local government was peaceful until the arrival of Folarin, his police and civilian guards at the venue of the congress.
He recalled that before the incident which claimed the life of the union leader, there had been report that the senator had been going about in black jeep, escort vehicle and another bus loaded allegedly with police guards and his loyalists.
He said that at a time, he instructed the assistant commissioner of police in charge operations to arrest the senator and the loyalists.
Bolanta aleged that Senator Folarin had to force his way to the venue of the congress, adding that his loyalists attacked people during which 14 vehicles were vandalised and four burnt.
He explained that it was one of the men who identified Eleweomo before they descended on him and stabbed him to death.
He debunked claims that two supporters of the Senate Leader were killed while other have their arms chopped off, adding that there was no report at any of the police station in the state of such incident
He also debunked the claim that he refused to pick the senator’s calls, saying that “ I picked his calls and the only time I did not pick his call was when I was praying.”
Bolanta, who disclosed that the police were still waiting for autopsy report, said that the corpse would be released to the deceased family immediate the report was ready.
