By; Oladele Adedayo, Ado-Ekiti.
The alleged invasion of the Ekiti State House of Assembly by men of the Department of State Services appeared to have reached dangerous dimension on Thursday,as government of Ekiti State broke a sad news that a member of the State House of Assembly,Hon. Afolabi Akanni has died in the custody of the security agency.
But the Service in a swift reaction debunked the allegation asserting that the Member is hale and hearty.
Akanni,representing Efon constituency,was arrested on March 4, when the DSS allegedly invaded the Assembly for undisclosed reason.
He was immediately whisked to Abuja where he had since been detained,in spite of the ruling of the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti, delivered by Justice Taiwo Taiwo, ordering the DSS to either release him with immediate effect or produce him in Court on Wednesday, March 16.
Information Commissioner,Lanre Ogunsuyi while addressing a press conference in Ado-Ekiti today said the government insisted that the lawmaker developed an ailment midnight of Thursday and died at dawn.
Those that addressed the conference include: The Speaker of the
Assembly,Hon. Kola Oluwawole, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice,Mr. Ajayi Owoseeni, Special Assistant on Communications to the governor, Lere Olayinka and Akanni’s Lawyer, Barr Obafemi Adewale.
Ogunsuyi said:“We call on the DSS to immediately clarify the
situation as to the status (dead or alive) of Hon. Akanni by producing him physically for all Nigerians, particularly his immediate family to see.
According to him“While we await the DSS to come up with its clarification, we urge every resident of Ekiti State,particularly the people of his immediate constituency in Efon to remain calm”.
The government added that what fueled their suspicion has been the way the Lawmaker has been held incommunicado,without access to family, lawyers,doctors and political associates since he was detained.
“Information at our disposal revealed that the lawmaker developed a strange ailment at midnight and died this morning. This is a shocking news to us and we are seriously grieved”.
Ogunsuyi said the government will take appropriate steps as soon as their claim is confirmed by DSS.
Dispelled the rumoured death of Akanni Afolabi Thursday in Abuja while presenting Mr. Afolabi before journalists, Abdullahi Garba, an official of the SSS according to on-line source, said the member was duly invited by DSS over certain breaches bordering on state security.
According to him, the breaches fall under the purview of the services to investigate.
Also, according to Premuim Times, Mr. Garba said the briefing became necessary in order to debunk the rumour being spread in Ekiti by some mischief makers.
“You can see that Akanni Afolabi is hale and hearty.
“Nigerians and Ekiti people in particular are convinced to see that Afolabi is hale and hearty as being presented to the press today,” he said.
Mr. Garba said investigation was still ongoing on the matter, adding that the service had not received any court order for his release.
He warned that the service would not hesitate to bring the full weight of the law against any person or persons that may engage in violent actions.
“The DSS, therefore, warns all those who have planned to make a meat out of this to desist from it and steer clear from trouble,” he said.
Mr. Garba assured Ekiti residents of adequate security and urged them to go about their normal businesses.
But while the SSS claimed Mr. Akanni was “hale and hearty”, the lawmaker was visibly ill Premium Times claimed.
