Family Demands N25 Million From Agagu Over Son's Death

Olusegun Agagu

From the riverine area of Ondo State, there is yet another monetary request from the Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Agagu over the conduct of the April poll. The latest is from the Idepe family of Arogbo-Ijaw in the Ese-Odo local government area of the State who are demanding for the payment of the sum of N25million as compensation over the alleged killing of their 25 year-old son by armed thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on April 14 while rigging the election result in Agadagba Obon town.

Only last week, some Niger Delta Militants had demanded from Agagu the payment of N500million being fees agreed upon to facilitate the rigging of the April polls, failure which they threatened to take laws into their hands.

The Idepe family, in a letter dated 11 June, 2007 addressed to Agagu entitled: “The untimely death of
Mr. Waribi Idepe of Arogbo,” intimated him that their son, Waribi Idepe, a part111 Mass Communications student of the Adekunle Ajasin and a supporter of the PDP, died of gunshots wounds he sustained “from a gun fired by one of the PDP armed at Agadagba-Obon on the 14th of April 2007 while in the process of rigging the election for your good self and the Hon. Kele Bolode-Oku of the ese-Odo Constituency.”

The family fingered the brain behind the invitation of the armed thugs and their dastardly act in the town as Hon. D.I Kekemeke, the present Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Hon. Corporal Nanaopiri, the Chairman of the Christian Welfare Board and regretted the shabby treatments meted to the family by the duo. While alleging that they had due to this shabby treatment initially rejected the corpse until the intervention of Hon Kingsley Kuku and Mr. Atima Koboju who acted as an intermediary between the Office of the governor and the family, the Idepe family expressed dismay that Kekemeke and Nanaopiri “who were instrumental to his death did not show nor show any concern for his death. None of them was at the scene of the burial ceremony nor did they find time to commiserate with the family.”

The family through their letter, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent had attached his death certificate, the boy’s picture on an hospital bed and a referrer letter to the UCH, Ibadan from the OAUTH, Ile-Ife, therefore demanded for the payment of N25million as compensation.

Further, for peace to reign, they asked for an offer of appointment for the deceased elder brother, Mr.
Ekorimor Idepe who they said is a strong member of the PDP. The family equally asked for the award of
scholarship for the deceased younger brother, Akpodilomini Idepe who is about entering the
university.

Their words: “We have buried our late brother who was trained by his elder brother, Godspower Idepe through his meagre salary as a serving military man. We believe Your Excellency would do something unlike your Secretary to the State Government, Hon D.I Kekemeke and others so that we can close the chapter of our late brother  once and for all.” The letter was signed by messers Felix Idepe and Godspower Idepe for and on behalf of the Idepe family and copied to the Deputy Governor, Omolade Oluwateru

Hon, D.I Kekemeke, (SSG); Hon Corporal Nanaopiri, Chairman Christian Welkfare Board and Hon. Kele
Bolode-Oku, Member, House of Assembly, Ese-Odo Constituency.