Bisi Fayemi, the
wife of the Ekiti State governor, at the weekend urged the police and
other security agencies in the state to apprehend the killers of Taiwo
Oluwole, the wife of the minister-in-charge and founder of Mount Zion
Baptist Church, Igede-Ekiti.
Mrs. Oluwole, 56,
was killed two Saturdays ago at a farm in Igede-Ekiti by alleged
ritualists. Mrs. Fayemi who was in the town to console the husband and
children of the victim was not happy about the murder, calling for an
end to such babaric acts.
Addressing the
bereaved family, the governor’s wife asked them not to lose faith in
God despite the situation. She assured the family and the people of the
community that the state government will “do everything within the law
to apprehend the perpetrators of the heinous crime.” She also tasked
residents to be more vigilant in ensuring that their environment is
safe.
“We need
legislation to protect women and girls from all forms of violence, and
we also need communities to be engaged in this as well, so that they
can take immediate action to support the women and girls involved,” she
said. “Violence against women is becoming a very serious issue in this
country. And I believe the solution has to come from different levels.
First, we need to sensitise people because it is extremely important
for them to know that women are not animals that are beaten, abused and
slaughtered.”
Mr. Oluwole, in his
response, said that he appreciated the visit of the first lady to the
family, praying that God will give the Kayode Fayemi-led administration
the ability to unmask his wife’s killers.
The late Mrs. Oluwole, a native of Ondo State, is the seventh victim
of suspected ritual killings in the small community. The killings
reportedly date back to 2003 with women as victims. Mrs. Oluwole was
allegedly raped, with her internal organs forced out through her
genital area. The suspected murderers allegedly dumped her corpse 24
hours after she had been murdered at a spot in Ile-Ona in Odo-Uri where
the search party had combed previously.
