Emma Nnadozie, Albert Akpor & Evelyn Usman
19 August 2008
A gang of six heavily armed robbers Sunday shot dead another member of Editorial board of Thisday newspapers, Paul Abayomi Ogundeji.
The incident took place at a point between Dopemu and Akowonjo area of Lagos at about 11.45pm. It was not too clear where Abayomi, a veteran journalist and Editor of the defunct Sunday Comet Newspapers was coming from unconfirmed sources said the deceased may have gone to visit an undisclosed friend in the area.
The former Editorial Board chairman of the same newspaper, Mr. Godwin Agbroke was murdered by gunmen at Isolo area of Lagos about two years ago.
Police sources said the armed men had earlier snatched a black Murano SUV and was about fleeing when the deceased's black coloured KIA Sportage jeep with number plate BM 316 AKD was spotted as a blockade.
Reports said the bandits on noticing this, quickly alighted from the snatched vehicle, ordered the late Abayomi to wind down, but frightened, Abayomi was said to have hesitated which made the hoodlums to open fire on him, shattering his head.
They thereafter threw out the owner of the Morano Jeep which they earlier seized with his vehicle before zooming off with Abayomi's vehicle and his blood soaked body.
The vehicle was reportedly recovered by Policemen who were alerted by the owner of the Morano SUV, some distance away with the lifeless body of the Journalist.
The Policemen, according to sources, combed the entire area for the fleeing bandits without success. The blood stained vehicle which had two bullet holes, one at the bumper and another by the driver's side, is currently packed at the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba where the case is being investigated.
Already, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo was reportedly said to have ordered his men to fish out perpetrators of the act without delay.
The Command Deputy Public Relations Officer, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr. Idowu Jimoh, who said the late Abayomi must have been a victim of circumstance assured that investigation had since begun adding that those behind the dastardly act would soon be brought to book.
He said, "when we were alerted over the incident, the police promptly raced to the area only to discover the lifeless body of Mr. Abayomi in his vehicle in the pool of his blood. I do not think the robbers took anything from him. But we have since begun investigation into the incident and all I can assure you is that those who perpetrated the act will soon be rounded up.
Meanwhile, President of Guild of Editors, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye yesterday condemned the wanton waste of lives of resourceful journalists in Nigeria. According to him; "this is the second time they are killing members of ThisDay's editorial board. First is Agbroko, the former Chairman of the board, whose murder has not been resolved, now its Abayomi Ogundeji. It shows how cheap life has become in this country.
"I pray that God will grant the entire family of Journalists in general and ThisDay newspapers in particular, the fortitude to bear the loss."..
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