The controversy surrounding the arrest of suspected killers of Mrs Funke Olakunrin, daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Fasoranti might not be over yet.
Yinka Odumakin, who is Afenifere’s spokesperson on Wednesday, confirmed to echotitbits that the Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad (FSARS) indeed arrested suspects connected to the July 2019 murder of Funke Olakunrin.
On how he (Odumakin) knew about the said arrest, the Afenifere spokesman noted that “We were worried for the husband until last Saturday when the Commander of Federal SARS in Ondo came to him to break the news that they have arrested four suspected killers.
“It was Federal SARS that arrested the killers. They were taken to Police Command at Ondo town before they were moved out of Ondo state but I will not want to mention where they are now.
“They also arrested the driver to Funke Olakunrin just two days ago (Monday).The regular Police Command as I said have been totally irresponsible. The way they are behaving over this matter is enough to make us lose confidence in the police forever”, Odumakin said.
He berated the Police saying “if the Police Command in Ondo is yet to know that the Federal SARS arrested these people then it is a shame”
Odumakin confirmed that it is true that the Police in Ondo did not arrest the alleged killers of Olakunrin but accused the command of negligence.
In his response to echotitbits, Odumakin accused the regular police command and its state SARS formation in Ondo of doing nothing on the case. He made it clear that “It was the Federal SARS that I was talking about, and as I am talking to you now, they are interrogating the suspects.”
In a case like this it is expected that as a matter of procedure that certain steps be made in the process of unraveling the identities of the killers. But according to Odumakin the Ondo State Police Commissioner is incompetent and showed no seriousness in investigating the case.
“The car in which Funke Olakunrin was killed, that is the most glaring evidence at the scene of crime, that car was released to the family in few hours. We asked, have you done forensic on this car, they said no. I called Frank Mba Police Headquarters PRO that was when they returned to pick the car for forensics”
He narrated further that the Police was not ready to conduct an autopsy but retuned for the corpse two days before burial only when he (Odumakin) called Frank Mba, Force Public Relations Officer the second time.
“They have not even once in 9 months visited Pa Fasoranti to even say we are investigating. They didn’t come to papa to give him briefing. The man is in agony, he was so sad, he couldn’t sleep at night, to eat was a problem”, Odumakin noted.
On whether there might be connivance between some officers of the Ondo State Police Command and the driver to the late Olakunrin, Odumakin said, “I will not want to prejudice FSARS investigation. They are doing their job I just want them to do it professionally and come out with their report.
While Odumakin commended the effort of the FSARS for a job the regular police in Ondo State failed to do according to him, he had an advice for the Police Public Relations Officer in the state.“ That PRO called me yesterday (Tuesday) and I told him he should not open his mouth on this matter again and stop embarrassing themselves.”
However, the Police Command in Ondo State has maintained that no arrest in connection to the killing of Funke Olakunrin was made.
In a short whatsapp response sent to echotitbits, the Public Relations Officer for the Police command in Ondo State, Tee-leo Ikoro reiterated that “first, there was no arrest. It was a misinterpretation of the favour FSARS needed from Pa Fashonranti. And to say the Command is not doing anything to ensure arrest of culprits is not true”.
The deceased Funke Olakunrin was murdered in July 2019 when heavily armed men ambushed her and fired at her vehicle between Kajola and Ore along Ondo-Ore road. Olakunrin, who was with a family member, her maid and two other men at the time of the incidence was badly hit by bullets and later died at the hospital.
