Afenifere playing politics with Oko Oloyun’s murder is shameful and insensitive

When youths misbehave, it is expected of the elders to call them to order. But when doves start behaving like vultures, how do we stop them from perching on carcasses?

The gruesome murder of Alhaji Fatai Yusuf aka Oko Oloyun on Thursday, January 23, 2020, at Oke-Ogun in Oyo State is a tragedy his family is still grieving about, but Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere did not think it wise to commiserate with the family before playing politics with the incident.

Following the assassination of the trado-medical expert, the Oyo Police Command linked his death to an alleged fraud he discovered in his Lagos office.

The police explained that the deceased may have been killed due to an alleged book-keeping fraud he detected in his Lagos office, adding that the ‘fraud’ he found out “allegedly led to the burning/destruction of some financial/book-keeping records.”

Oko Oloyun was a famous trado-medical practitioner. (TheNation) Pulse Nigeria

The police further said that “In addition to other possible motives, a plausible nexus is, therefore, being suspected between the fire incident and the attack on the deceased.”

But Afenifere believes the police’s explanation linking Oko Oloyun’s murder to an alleged fraud he discovered in his Lagos office is meant to divert public attention.

In a statement released on Friday, January 24, 2020, Afenifere said, “The police rushing to the press unprofessionally to say he discovered fraud in his office before the incident without carrying out any investigation may foreclose other possible leads. Every life of a human being is precious to us and this is another test to the capacity of the Nigerian police seriously challenged at the moment.”

The organisation also said that the police explanation on the murder case suggested “a desperate attempt to divert attention from the fact that the Eruwa-Igbo Ora route on which he was killed is a notorious axis of Fulani bandits”.

Afenifere’s statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, is very close to the conclusion that Alhaji Yusuf was murdered by Fulani herdsmen.

Yinka Odumakin is the national publicity secretary of Afenifere. (Punch) ece-auto-gen

It’s crystal clear that Afenifere is at loggerheads with herdsmen and the federal government, but dragging Oko Oloyun’s murder by yet to be identified assassins into its political game to advance its course is completely thoughtless, shameful and insensitive.

Ironically, the association that wants Nigerians to believe the police did not conduct any investigation before issuing a statement on the alleged fraud in Oko Oloyun’s office wants Nigerians to believe its claim that the trado-medical practitioner was possibly killed by herdsmen without having an iota of evidence to back its claim.

Afenifere is believed to consist of peace-loving Yoruba elders, but the infantile statements Nigerians often get from the group do not reflect the voice of the elders.

Often time, the reckless statements we get from the socio-cultural group of elders represent the voice of disgruntled senior citizens, who seem to believe that setting the country on a warpath is the only way to get it working.

Young Nigerians won’t like to believe the elders are always aware of some of the insensitive statements its spokesperson dishes out as the positions of the respected elders on security and political matters.

Granted, Nigeria is precariously battling with insecurity, but Afenifere finding ways to politicise every insecurity issue to settle their personal grievances with the government is a dangerous venture and the Yoruba nation should not be dragged into it.

The danger in Afenifere’s position on Oko Oloyun’s murder could compromise the outcome of police investigation because once its unfounded narrative is established, it becomes difficult for people to accept the findings of the police on the matter, especially if it does not confirm Afenifere’s bias.