The Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsakin, who fell to the bullets of suspected kidnappers on Monday evening worked at Sheraton Hotel in Nigeria’s capital city prior to 2018 when he ascended the throne of his ancestors.
Daily Trust had reported how Ogunsakin was ambushed and murdered alongside the Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olushola.
The traditional rulers, who were in company of the Alara of Ara-Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba, were said to be returning from a security meeting at Irele-Ekiti, when the attackers struck along Oke-Ako road in Ikole Local Government Area of the state.
But while Fatoba managed to escape, the other two were not so lucky.
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A source close to Oba Ogunsakin, who did not want his name in print, told our reporter that the monarch worked at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, and later Barbados Hotel, Kaduna, in 2018, to become king.
“He was formerly a staff of Sheraton Hotel, Abuja (now Abuja Continental Hotel), from there he moved to Barbados hotel in Kaduna. He was the manager of the hotel till 2018, when he was called by people of his home town to become Elesun of Esun-Ekiti. He is survived by his wife and four children,” the source disclosed.
Earlier in an interview, the monarch’s widow, Mrs Yetunde Ogunsakin, narrated the last moment of her husband before he was killed.
Ogunsakin’s widow said the monarch said he was hungry and that she should prepare a meal for him before he arrived at his palace.
Mrs Ogunsakin disclosed this in an interview with AIT.
The woman said she became worried after hours that she called the traditional ruler and did not answer.
She said, “He called me when he reached Ajowa that he was coming, that he was hungry and I should prepare something for him. Ajowa to this place, I was not checking time, that it is not supposed to take more than one hour. Getting to one hour, one hour plus, I was calling his phone. He did not pick.”
Adding to the narration, a community leader from Esun Ekiti, Chief Niyi Ojo said, “I was shocked when I was called around 4:30 to be informed that he has been attacked by assailants and that he was killed in the process with a fellow Kabieyesi, Onimojo of Imojo.”
The incident is one of the stark realities of the spate of kidnappings and killings going on in the country.
Former Vice President and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, lampooned President Bola Tinubu over the prevailing insecurity in Nigeria.
Atiku, in a statement on Tuesday, asked Tinubu to step down if he could not address the insecurity ravaging the country.
