Fayose Narrowly Escapes Death As His Driver Gets Thorough Beating

Former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayo Fayose, yesterday, narrowly escaped death by a hair’s breadth when his driver, Mr Nathaniel Saliu, and his vehicle were attacked by unknown mob between Ilupeju-Ekiti and Ire-Ekiti.  Fayose, who was said to have traveled to Abuja for a political meeting, sent his driver back to Ado-Ekiti before both vehicle and driver were ambushed by the hoodlums.

Ayo Fayose

Recounting his near death ordeal to newsmen on telephone yesterday evening in Ado-Ekiti, Saliu said the incident happened between 11 a.m. and 12 Noon on his way from Abuja to Ado-Ekiti where he’d gone to drop his boss, Fayose, at the airport.  According to him, it was not until he got to Ilupeju enroute Ire-Ekiti that he noticed a white Hilux van with about six occupants trailing his jeep with registration number ADC 11 AY (Abuja).  Initially, he did not feel threatened until both vehicles got to a point riddled with several potholes and his vehicle could not move any faster.

According to him, it was at this point that the white Hilux van blocked his way, and four hefty men suddenly alighted from the vehicle and started beating him, while asking: “where is your boss, Fayose? repeatedly.  Having satisfied their curiousity that Fayose was not in the vehicle, they retreated and told others in the vehicle that indeed, their target is not there.

According to Nathaniel, immediately after the incident, he went to Oke-Ila Police Station at about 2 p.m. to lodge complaints.

In his reaction to the incident, Fayose, who condemned the act, described it as an attempt on his life.  He therefore, called on the police and other security operatives to rise to the challenge before the situation gets out of hand.

The former Ekiti state governor it would be recalled, has in the last one week been experiencing confrontations by hoodlums, who disrupted his political meetings within the state.