By Dipo Olowookere
The gruesome murder of Ms Nofisat Tutu Ibrahim, a member of staff of an old generation financial institution, First Bank Nigeria Limited, has led to the arrest and detention of a manager of the bank’s branch in Ondo State.
Ms Ibrahim was killed on Wednesday evening by two unidentified gunmen at Oke Ogba area of Akure, the state capital.
Until her death, she was in charge of the Point of Sale (POS) ordering at the commercial bank and was said to have informed her boss of a threat to her life by a businesswoman in the area. However, her manager allegedly ignored the threat and on Wednesday, two men who alighted from a motorcycle, stormed her place of work and murdered her in cold blood.
After the unfortunate incident, policemen from the Ondo State Command swung into action to unravel those behind the killing.
Already, two persons are believed to be in police custody; the branch manager of First Bank and the businesswoman the deceased allegedly had a spat with. It was gathered that the two suspects are cooling off at the Fanibi Police Station in Akure and are helping the security agency in its investigation.
One of the associates of Ms Ibrahim narrated how his friend and former classmate was murdered by the gunmen.
“I was told that her assailant (s) who came in a motor – bike disguised as customers lurking to transacts business in her terminal.
“The yet to be identified killers gained entry into her terminal and ordered everyone to lie down on their faces before she was attacked.
“They first attempted to strangulate her but she bolted – to raise an alarm, and as she ran out to escaped death, the armed men went after her and was shot twice on the b***st.
“These hoodlums left with nothing in the shop as there money and other valuables – raising the suspicion that they must have been “hired assassins” working in the dark.
“The gun shot fired by her murderers had made business owners and traders in the area to ‘ve thought it was a case of armed robbery.
“Not, it is ‘pure assassination’ with our findings so far! But we shall allow the security agencies to do their discrete job and ascertain our claims.
“Miss Tutu was murdered in cold blood – this is very shocking and so sad! The narrations I got from Tutu’s elder sister is a tale of sorrow. I was told that the deceased had earlier raise the alarm about a threat to her life.
“The issue was about a business woman close to her bank who was allege to have threatened to deal with Tutu over some disagreements on the issuance of POS machine.
“This, according to her elder sister was reported to her boss in the bank mostly the “Manager” who only did not take the as a serious case or did less to Tutu’s report in the office.
“Sad! Tutu has been buried in accordance with Muslim rites but her killers must not go freely. She need justice ‘cus her killers have murdered sleep in the face of her parents.
“I learned that the case has been reported at the Fanibi Police Station in Akure but seems the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Charge of the Station, Omolayo Adams, is trying to play ball!
“We are yet to know if this is unconnected with the highly influential suspects that have been fingered in the murder case by the family.
“We have spoken with DSP Femi Joseph, the Spokesman of the ondo state police command and he has assured that detectives have began their investigation on the murder case.
“He promised that the ‘perpetrators would soon be arrested and brought to book’. We shall be holding the the police for their words as we all join them in unraveling those behind this dastardly act.”
