WHILE Nigerians are still mourning the gruesome murder of Bolanle Raheem by a police officer on Christmas Day, December 25, 2022, some evil-minded people in our midst who believe our lives are in their hands struck again in the early hours of New Year Day, January 1, 2023.

They trailed Mr. Kehinde Fatinoye, a former staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and his wife, Bukola Fatinoye, a senior staff of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta from the church where they had prayed and thanked God for seeing them through 2022, down to their residence at GRA, Ibara, Abeokuta, Ogun State. There, they murdered the couple, set their bodies ablaze and then took away their only son, Oreoluwa, and their housemaid.

Heartlessly, the assailants threw the son and the maid into a river. Fortunately, the housemaid was rescued alive. But Oreoluwa was still missing until three days later when fishermen discovered his decomposing body floating on the river.

Luckily, the Ogun State Police Command said a suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder, assuring Nigerians who are outraged over these latest dastardly killings that others involved in the murder would be arrested.  

The police have three lines of lead to solving this multiple assassination. In every crime, there is a motive, and if the motive can be established, the crime is halfway solved. There is obviously a desire by those who masterminded the assassinations to wipe out the entire family of Mr. Kehinde Fatinoye. Why? Who were his business partners? Who had he or his wife been speaking with, meeting or doing things with in recent times?

Nigerians want every single grain of sand in this case to be turned upside down. The answer is there; it is the duty of police to find it. Secondly, the maid who must have seen much of what transpired, was rescued alive. She must be given every protection by the police while investigation is going on. Nigerians certainly would not want to hear any news of the mysterious death of the maid is dead.

Finally, and fortunately according to the police, a suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder. Even with the remotest link to the crime, the arrested suspect is a highly potential lead to other executioners and masterminds of the extermination of Mr. Kehinde Fatinoye and his family.

Since Nigeria has the misfortune of having a highly centralised police force commanded from Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari should issue a marching order to the Inspector-General of Police to leave no stone unturned in arresting all those involved in the killing of Mr. Kehinde Fatinoye and his family.

Also, the Ogun State governor, regarded as the chief security officer of the state, should as much as he can, apply all necessary pressures for the needful to be done. As a matter of fact, all Nigerians should insist that the police do their work in this case and do it conscientiously. Assassins return to kill more people when they know they can get away with their crimes. And it could be anybody’s turn the next time.