Special Adviser on Tertiary Education to Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Dr. Sikiru Eniola, has been accused of inciting violent attack and threatening the life of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South-West Zonal Director of Media and Publicity, Lere Olayinka.
Olayinka, who alleged this in a petition to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, alleged that “In the last few months, Sikiru Eniola has been circulating falsehoods against my person with the aim of inciting violence attacks against me. Though I have ignored these incitements in the past, but it got to the peak few days ago when I started receiving anonymous calls from people threatening to ‘take me out of circulation’ and attack me with gun anywhere I am for always speaking against Sikiru Eniola irrational opinions on national issues.”
In the petition dated January 14, 2021, Olayinka accused Eniola, who used to be a lecturer in the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti before he was appointed by Governor Fayemi, of being one of the brains behind the attempt to assassinate him in Ado Ekiti on October 24, 2020.
Eniola had petitioned the police, claiming that Olayinka used more than twenty vehicles to trail him in Ado Ekiti and Akure, Ondo State. He gave registration numbers of the vehicles to include LSD 196 GF, AKD 520 GE, FGB 306 GN, KSF 982 GF, AKR 912 FU, AAA 379 OW, BDG 635 GE, WWW 219 SA, MUS 233 CU, MUS 220 CU, BDG 685 FP, KSF 426 GD, APP 992 GE, KSF 440 DD, KSF 150 FR, FST 603 GP, AKR160 NP and GGE 211 EF.
However, in his own petition, Olayinka said that “The said Sikiru Eniola has actually been the one who threatened to use his position as an appointee of government in Ekiti State to deal with me, and that nothing will happen if I am killed. This has manifested in threat calls from anonymous callers as well as attempt on my life on October 24, 2020, by armed thugs led by one Dele Omojola (Marshal). The thugs invaded GNN Guest House in Ado Ekiti, thinking that I was there and shot severally into the room they thought I was lodged.
“It is on record that I submitted a petition to your office on November 20, 2020, concerning this assassination attempt on me by armed thugs sponsored by the State Government. This is apart from another petition submitted by Hon. Dayo Akinleye, owner of GNN Hotel, Ado Ekiti, who was among the five people abducted by the armed thugs on October 24, 2020.
“Details of the gruesome attack, including names and CCTV footages, showing the faces of the assailants were provided, yet they are still moving freely in Ekiti State as they are well known APC members thence become untouchable.
“Nothing has been done by the police to arrest the thugs and bring them to justice.
“With the latest events concerning threat to my life by Sikiru Eniola and his agents, I am of the opinion that he may have questions to answer concerning the October 24, 2020 attempt to assassinate me.
“Furthermore, that I was the primary target of the hoodlums, was made manifest in the statement issued on December 25, 2020, by the State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Ade Ajayi.
“Ade Ajayi said: ‘Security agents were able to nip their plan in the bud by bursting the GNN Guest House where Maxima was picked up, while Lere Olayinka escaped and he is still on the run.’
“Unknown to the assailants and their sponsors, who I suspect will include Dr. Sikiru Eniola, I was not anywhere near Ekiti State on October 24, 2020. In fact, I have not been to Ekiti since September 2020.
“I therefore, urge the officers of the Nigeria Police assigned to use their good offices to ensure that my complaint about attempted assassination of October 24, 2020, by Dele Omojola (Marshall) and others contained in petition earlier written, submitted and acknowledged is investigated while owners of the vehicles and phone numbers in Sikiru Eniola’s cooked up allegations of threat to his life are unraveled.”