Gunmen kill man in Ondo hotel

Some suspected hired assassins at the weekend invaded an hotel in Akure, Ondo State capital, killing a 38-year-old businessman, Babatunde Adeluka Olubasa, who lodged at the hotel.

Olubasa who was in Akure for a social function was said to have retired to the hotel when the assailants who trial him to the hotel opened fire on him at close distance.

A source disclosed that the deceased had retired to his room but returned to the bar to request for drink when the suspected assassins approached him and eventually shot him severally before leaving the hotel.

He explained that one of the suspected killers, approached the late Olubasa and requested for a cigarette lighter which he declined and led to an argument between them and the suspected gunmen immediately brought out guns and shot him dead on the spot.

According to him, “the men seemed to be waiting for the deceased to come out of his hotel room at the reception. Immediately they saw him, one of them requested for cigarettes lighter which infuriated the late Olubasa.

They did not argue with him for long before they brought out their guns and shot him severally. They ensured that life was snuffed out of him before leaving while they brought out a small axe to dismember his part of his body.

They left the bar after they confirmed that the young man had gave up while guests and other people at the hotel ran for safety. The three assassins left the hotel before the case was reported to the police.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mr Tee-Leo Ikoro, who confirmed the incident said it was a case of assassination.

Ikoro disclosed that the state Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami, has ordered full investigation into the incident and said detectives from the command have been on the trail of the fleeing assailants.

He said: “We’ve commenced investigation trying to track down those who killed him.

“It’s an assassination. At the time it happened, there was nobody else at the bar, except the bar girl. The bar girl said they came in three, waiting for the deceased to come out.

“The deceased lodged in that hotel and went out at some point in time. He came back and left again. By the time he came back, the assailants were already at the bar drinking.

“When he came back, he went into his room, took a bottle of wine and then called for a bottle of soft drink from the bar.

“But when he got to the bar, the three guys asked for a cigarette lighter from him while he declined. It was at that point they pull out their guns and shot him. The assailants left the hotel when he gave up the ghost.

“We are on their trail right now. The Commissioner of Police has ordered a full investigation into the incident. To us, we’re are thinking it’s an assassination. But the investigation will unravel all that happened.”

Meanwhile, a yet to be identified commercial motorcyclists rider was feared dead in a road accident involving the vehicle of a serving Deputy Inspector General of Police along Akure-Ondo Expressway around Bolorunduro, the headquarters of the Ondo East Local Government Area of Ondo State.

It was gathered that the motorcyclist was hit by the Toyota Land Cruiser Jeep and died instantly before he could be rushed to the hospital.

The source said: “The DIG was in Lagos and he sent his ‘boys’ to go and bring the jeep from Akure but the vehicle had an accident on the way to Lagos.”

The PPRO, Tee-Leo Ikoro, also confirmed the incident but said the commercial motorcyclist was injured and receiving treatment at the hospital.