Kogi: Police Arrest Dep Gov Candidate Faleke's Brother

Kogi: Police Arrest Dep Gov Candidate Faleke's Brother

The home of the former Chairman of Ijumu Local Government Council and brother to James Faleke, Hon. Funsho Olumoko, in Ekinrin Adde, Kogi State, was allegedly raided by fully armed policemen at about 1.30 a.m. today and whisked away to an unknown destination.

It was reliably gathered that the policemen came in four Hilux vans, climbed the fence with a ladder, smashed the doors of the residence, broke into the ceilings and eventually took away Olumoko who is a brother to the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate in the November 21, 2015, in Kogi State, Hon James Faleke.

Sources close to the family also stated that the 95-year-old father and 70-year-old mother of Olumoko were harassed and rough handled.

Olumoko's arrest might not be unconnected with the press briefing he addressed on behalf of the community during which they condemned attempt by the Governor Yahaya Bello-led state government to repaint and rename the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in the community built by the federal government in 2007 as a new project to be inaugurated by the governor's wife yesterday.

In the briefing, Olumoko said: "There is no justification for whatsoever visit by Alhaji Yahaya Bello or his wife to our community now, in view of the circumstances surrounding the mandate which he presently holds, the status of our son, James Faleke, in the last governorship election as the perceived rightful owner of the governorship mandate, and consequently the likely security implication of such visit to Faleke's home town under the prevailing circumstances."

According to him, "The idea of the visit was fraudulently conceived to find an excuse by Bello to rub insult on the injury inflicted on us as a community by the daylight robbery of the mandate freely given to Audu/Faleke joint ticket of which our son, James Faleke is the only living rightful custodian of that mandate."

He said the health centre proposed to be inaugurated by Bello and his wife was "constructed with a collaborative effort of the federal and Ijumu Local Government Council in 2007 during the tenure of Professor Eyitayo Lambo as the Minister of Health."

Meanwhile, the Audu/Faleke Political Organisation has condemned the invasion of the country home and arrest of Olumoko, describing it as crude and high handed.

In a statement signed on behalf of the group by its Director, Media and Publicity, Hon Duro Meseko, the group said the forceful manner the police were reported to have made their way into his residence reminds us of the dark days of the military junta.