Minister seeks justice for slain traditional rulers, kidnapped school children in Ekiti

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake has condemned the kidnapping of some school children and killing of traditional rulers in Ekiti.

The minister condemned the act in a statement he personally signed on Tuesday in Abuja.

Our correspondent recalls that about six pupils, three teachers and the school bus driver of a private school in Emure-Ekiti were abducted while returning to Eporo-Ekiti on Monday.

Alake also condemned the killing of two traditional rulers in Ekiti, who were reportedly killed while returning from a security meeting in Irele-Ekiti by suspected kidnappers.

They were said to be in a vehicle being driven by one of their colleagues, the Alara of Ikole Ekiti, when they were attacked by gunmen along a community in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti on Monday.

“I received with deep sadness, the report of Monday’s killing of two traditional rulers in Ekiti, the Onimojo of Imojo- Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola and the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsola.

“These two traditional rulers, according to media reports, were gruesomely murdered by their assailants while returning from a security meeting.

“The tragic incident, again, speaks to the challenges of insecurity in our country, which the President Bola Tinubu-led administration is working very hard to surmount,” he said.

Alake urged security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime, and ensure they faced the full wrath of the law.

”I call on the Police high command and the Department of State Security Service to rescue the primary school pupils from Emure-Ekiti.”

He commiserated with the governor of Ekiti, Abiodun Oyebanji; the government and people of Ekiti, especially the families and subjects of the traditional rulers.

Our correspondent recalls that the governor had described the incident as callous and unacceptable in a statement and said that security agencies in the state were already on the trail of the abductors to ensure their safe return.

He said that security is being beefed up across the state with the aim of taking criminals from their hideouts.