July 17, 2020
Widow of Emmanuel Olufemi-Peters, Oluchi Ikpeka, has urged the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, to fish out the killers of her husband.
Former Commander of Community Police Sector (CPS), Femi-Peters, was stabbed to death on June 19, 2020 while carrying out the COVID-19 lockdown order in company with the police and other paramilitary agents, but the security agencies were not able to arrest the assailants who committed the dastardly act.
Oluchi, who was devastated as she narrated how her husband was murdered in the glare of the police, said it looked fishy that it could happen in the presence of the police that he was assisting in crime fighting.
“Three years ago, my husband was approached by divisional police officers in Agege area to assist in crime fighting as crime rate was becoming too astronomical. My husband and I were running a home at 50, Capitol Road, Agege, for less-privileged children and a school, so he was popular in the area.
“My husband agreed to help the police to sanitize Agege and formed CPS. He assisted the police and the community in reducing crime rate for three years. People would call him at night and he would assist. So, he had many enemies from the underworld but the people and the police loved him.
“During the lockdown, there was restriction of movement. The police needed him to assist on night patrol and they left with two patrol vans conveying the police and other paramilitary agents and some motorcycles, but he was on a bike. When they arrived Akerere area of Agege, where drugs are sold, the people violated the lockdown order, as they were partying, and the police shot in the air to disperse the party makers. “The party makers ran for cover, but two men approached my husband and said that someone must die and one of them stabbed him in his chest, left side, near the nipple. He used his hand to block the wound and he was rushed to the hospital by the police, but he couldn’t make it as he was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty.
“He was buried because his mother is still alive. I want the governor and the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, to wade into the matter to see that my husband’s killers are fished out. I know that someone sent the killers to eliminate him, because they knew he was the person who gave the police directions to come to the area that is notorious for crime.
“I am also calling on the government to come to the rescue of over 30 underprivileged children that he was taking care of. I am doing my best, but what can a poor widow do? Our home, though not registered, is Reach Touch International, but I am changing the name to Emmanuel Olufemi-Peters Foundation. We also have a school, Vikella Nursery and Primary School. He was a philanthropist that was catering for the children’s school fees and feeding and other things. I am calling on the government to come to the rescue of the innocent kids.”
More importantly, the widow who spoke with newsmen at her residence, No 50, Capitol Road, Agege, demanded justice against her husband’s murderers. She said: “I am making a passionate appeal to the Government to arrest my husband killers so he would not die in vain. His death will trigger crime again and his enemies will be happy, because he was a thorn the flesh of criminals and evil people in Agege. I don’t want him to die in vain. Let his killers be brought to book so that his spirit will rest in peace.”
She added that the late Peter had a dream to give children quality education: “We have two biological children, but there are many other children that we are taking care of. He wanted to reach out to many families. We don’t adopt children, we only assist the kids. Some of their parents are alive, they visit their children and the children go on holiday. We are just assisting some less-privileged ones, including orphans. His motto was, “If you light a candle, that one will light another one and that one will light another, and the world would be filled with light.”