The Oyo State Police Command yesterday disclosed that it has arrested nine suspects in connection with the killing of the unit chairman of the Agbeni branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW)

    Adebayo also known as Ola Ruffy was murdered at Apaana, Foko area of Ibadan, a short distance away from his house on Sunday. His killing marked a break from the relative peace that reigned in Ibadan, the state capital, in the last two years.

    In a telephone conversation with the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olabisi Clet-Ilobanafor, said the police had swung into action immediately the incident was reported, explaining further that the suspected master minder of the attack, believed to be behind the mask tagged Ekugbemi masquerade, was still at large.

    She said, “We like to advise him to turn himself in now because he can only hide, he cannot run away. We will fish him out soon if he refuses to show up.”

    The hoodlums behind the killing had used the cover of the ongoing egungun festival to perpetrate the evil act.

    Adebayo had gone to Obafemi Awolowo Stadium (formerly liberty stadium) on Sunday afternoon to watch ram competition. It was while he was returning around 4:30pm that he ran into crowd of one of the popular masquerades in Ibadan, Iponriku, where the hoodlums took advantage of the rowdiness to attack him close to his house. He was said to have been stabbed on four different areas of his head and was allegedly shot on the thigh.

    One Mr. Fatai, one of his associates who was with him and tried to rescue him, was also attacked.

    Adebayo gave up the ghost at a nearby hospital where he was rushed to for treatment. His remains were deposited at the Oke-Ado Hospital, Ibadan, shortly after he was confirmed dead by the medical team attending to him.