The personal driver to the late Hon. Temitope Olatoye, popularly known as ‘Sugar’, has raised the alarm over alleged threats to his life following the gruesome killing of the federal lawmaker on March 9, 2019.
In an exclusive interview with journalists, the driver, Mr. Olumide Adebayo, said he has remained in hiding since the incident, fearing that those who killed his boss may be planning to eliminate him as well.
Hon. Olatoye, who represented the Lagelu/Akinyele Federal Constituency of Oyo State in the House of Representatives, was ambushed and fatally shot in Elesu village, Lalupon, shortly after casting his vote in the 2019 governorship elections.
According to Adebayo, the duo were en route to monitor activities at various polling units when their vehicle came under a hail of bullets from suspected political thugs.
“We had barely entered the village when the road just went quiet. Before I knew it, we were surrounded and shots were fired. Oga was hit directly in the face. I had to run — I ran barefoot into the bush, not looking back,” he recalled.
The late lawmaker was rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, where he was pronounced dead. His death, just hours after voting, sent shockwaves across Oyo State and the nation.
But for Adebayo, the nightmare has continued.
“I know I was a target too. Those men were not just after Oga. I was his driver and close aide. They know my face. I overheard conversations before the attack — I know things that could expose them. That’s why I’ve been in hiding,” he said.
The driver, visibly shaken during the interview, appealed to security agencies to ensure his safety, stating that he has not been able to return home or live a normal life since the incident.
“I sleep with one eye open. Every knock on the door makes my heart stop. I need help,” he pleaded.
The Oyo State Police Command confirmed shortly after the killing that a suspect had been arrested in connection with the incident, and investigations were ongoing.
Olatoye, who previously served in the Oyo State House of Assembly under Accord Party, was elected to the National Assembly on the platform of the APC before defecting to the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in 2018. He contested the Oyo Central Senatorial seat in 2019 but lost at the polls.
“I still relive that moment every day. It’s like I’m running from death, even now,” he said quietly.
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