Ekiti Shooting: Bamidele Moved To Lagos For Post-surgery Treatment

Former House of Representatives member and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has been moved to Lagos for post-surgery treatment.

He was flown to Lagos aboard an Air Ambulance Chopper with registration number 5N-BSW belonging to Flying Doctors Nigeria, which landed at about 3.05pm at sports field of Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti.

Bamidele was shot by a mobile policeman at the APC secretariat during a welcome rally for its governorship aspirant, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Friday.

However, the former federal lawmaker had a surgery on Friday which lasted about four hours to remove two bullets lodged in his abdominal region and leg. He was in a stable condition before being moved to Lagos.

The surgery was performed at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) by a team of eight doctors including four consultants.

A statement on Sunday by his media aide, Ahmed Salami, disclosed that Bamidele was moved to Lagos for treatment as a follow up to the surgeries he undertook for the gunshot wounds he sustained.

Salami said although Bamidele’s health has stabilized appreciably, there was need for him to go for post surgery treatments to ensure quick convalescence for him to be able to join Dr. Fayemi’s campaign train, of which he has been playing a pivotal role.

He said: “We want to assure our teeming supporters to discountenance the misinformation by rumour peddlers that his health had relapsed, saying he was in a stable condition and people were already having unfettered access to him at EKSUTH before he left for Lagos.

“Dr. Fayemi and his wife Erelu Bisi Fayemi, Aare Afe Babalola, Engr. Segun Oni, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Dr. Wole Oluleye, Barrister Victor Kolade and several other bigwigs in APC circle including ordinary members of his party were allowed access to him on the sick bed confirming the appreciable level of his stability before being allowed to be taken out of the state.

“Let me put on records that his being taken to Lagos was caused by gross dearth of equipment and personnel at EKSUTH.

“As much as we salute the proficiency and commitments of the Doctors in the hospital, let me also added that many of the consultants and equipment used in performing the surgery were hired from other hospitals.

“To forestall a situation whereby we have to rely on bringing equipment that are readily available in other hospitals down to Ekiti to treat him, we decided to shift him to such hospital to fast-track his recuperation.”

Saraki Mourns Akanbi Says, "Its A Personal Loss"

  President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has expressed grief over the death of a former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, describing his demise as “a personal loss”.

Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, described the late Akanbi as an indefatigable, honest and principled  jurist who upheld the fine ethics of the judicial process till he breathed his last.

“I am sad that Baba (Akanbi) has left us. He was fearless, courageous and spoke truth to power during his lifetime,” Saraki said. “He was like a father to me. His death is a personal loss. Kwara State will miss him. Nigeria will miss him,” he said.

He stated that the late Justice Akanbi would be remembered for his unquenchable zeal to restore the principles of transparency and accountability in the country through his fight against corruption.

Saraki noted: “He was an anti-corruption czar who fought the malaise both when he was in and out of office. He never gave up. His untiring zeal to stamp out corruption from all facet of our national life never dimmed. He lived what he preached and you could see there was no pretense about him at all.
“He was an incorruptible jurist whose judgements could hardly be faulted while on the bench. During his stint as Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), he fought corruption with uncommon passion and courage.
“After leaving office as the ICPC boss, he again joined the board of the Justice and Law Enforcement Reformation Organization – a non-profit organization – to continue his anti-corruption crusade.

Justice Akanbi

Besides, he later established the Mustapha Akanbi Foundation, in furtherance of his quest to strengthen the culture of transparency, accountability and good governance in the country,” Saraki stated.
He described Akanbi as a true son of Kwara State whose many contributions to the development of his immediate community, state in particular, and the country in general, will remain indelible in the hearts of the people.
The Senate President commiserated with the immediate family of the deceased, the government and people of Kwara State, and urged them to emulate the virtues and values of integrity, selfless service and unparalleled patriotism of the late jurist.
While praying Almighty Allah to grant the soul of the departed a place among the righteous ones  in Aljannah Firdaus, Saraki stated that he will continue to draw inspiration from the fact that late Justice Akanbi did not only live a worthy life, but was a great blessing to his generation.

Ex-ICPC Chair, Justice Mustapha Akanbi Dies, Buried In Ilorin

A former President of the Court of Appeal, Mustapha Akanbi, is dead.
Mr Akanbi died Sunday morning in Ilorin, Kwara State.
He was aged 85.
It was gathered that the former chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) died around 1 a.m.
His son, Kabir Akanbi, also confirmed the death to The Nation newspaper.
Meanwhile, the remains of late judge had been buried in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, former ministers and top government functionaries and stakeholders in the judiciary were among dignitaries that attended the burial.
The deceased was buried at his Agba Dam GRA residence in Ilorin at about 3 p.m on Sunday.
The Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Mohammed Bashir, led the Jana’izah (funeral) prayer which lasted for less about 10 minutes.
In his brief sermon at the funeral rite, the chief Imam prayed Allah to grant Akanbi Aljanat Fiddaus (eternal rest).
Until his death, late Justice Akanbi was the first Wakili of Ilorin.
In 1992, the deceased was made President of the Court of Appeal, a position he held until retiring in 1999.
He was the founder of Mustapha Akanbi Foundation.
Akanbi was appointed ICPC Chairman by former president Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000 and served till 2005.
He was born on Sept. 11, 1932 in Accra, Ghana.

Ekiti Shooting: Policeman Who Shot Opeyemi Bamidele Was On Illegal Duty-Police

The Police Command has said that the policeman who was involved in the shooting of Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele and one other person at the Ekiti APC secretariat on Friday was in the state on “illegal duty.”
The policeman was reportedly deployed for bank guard duties in Ikeja, Lagos State, but he made his way to Ekiti State, the Command said.
In its situation report released on Saturday by its Public Relations Officer, DSP Caleb Chukwuemeka, the Command said that findings revealed that what happened was a case of accidental discharge on the part of the mobile police officer.
On Friday, 1st June, 2018, at about 17:00 hours, the policeman accidentally shot Opeyemi Bamidele and one other, but he has been arrested.
”He is attached to 20 PMF, Ikeja, Lagos State, where he was posted on bank guard duties somewhere in Ikeja. The policeman came on illegal duty to Ekiti State.
”A politician, who conspired and removed the said policeman from where he was posted by his Squadron Commander and came to Ado-Ekiti with him for an unofficial reason has also been arrested.
”The victims of his accidental discharge are currently responding to treatment at the hospital, while the injured policeman is also responding to treatment in protective custody,’’ he said.

Ekiti Guber: APC Suspends Campaign

The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti on Saturday said it had suspended its gubernatorial campaign earlier scheduled to take off on  today.
The suspension came as the police command in the state released the report of Friday’s shooting incident at the APC rally organised to welcome back to the state its flagbearer in the July 14 governorship election, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Chairman of the party in the state, Jide Awe, told newsmen in Ado-Ekiti that the postponement was due to the shooting incident.
According to Awe, the suspension will remain in place until the Police can guarantee the safety of its gubernatorial candidate and other members of the party.
He insisted that Friday’s shooting was an attempt to take the life of Fayemi, with the bullet, however, hitting a former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele.
Awe demanded a thorough investigation of the matter by the police, insisting that the outcome of the report must be made public.
But the police command in its situation report released on Saturday by its Public Relations Officer, DSP Caleb Chukwuemeka, said findings revealed that what happened was a case of accidental discharge on the part of a mobile police officer.
(NAN)

Gov Promotes His Chief Of Staff As Deputy

Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State has nominated his Chief of Staff, Audu Sule Katagum, to serve as his deputy.
The Commissioner for Information, Umar Sade, confirmed the nomination to the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Bauchi
The governor nominated Audu Sule Katagum as the deputy governor after due consultation with stakeholders in the state,” he said.
It would be recalled that the erstwhile deputy governor, Nuhu Gidado, resigned his appointment about two weeks ago.
Information Officer of Bauchi State House of Assembly, Mr. Lamara Chinade, also confirmed to NAN on Saturday that Katagum’s name has been submitted to the House for confirmation.
“The name was submitted last week and the House may sit next week to confirm his nomination,” he told NAN.