A preliminary report by the police on the death of a close ally of former Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State, Apagun Wole Olumide, showed there was no mark of violence on his body.
The report, contained in a statement by the Commissioner, Ogun State Police Command, Okoye Ikemefuna, said that the State Criminal Investigation Department had started the process of unravelling the circumstances surrounding Olumide’s death.
Olumide’s body was recovered from the artificial lake beside the Golf Resort Hotel, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, this morning at 9:02am by a combined team of policemen, fire fighters and local divers.
He reportedly went to the Golf Resort Hotel yesterday in company with his driver but was discovered missing when his driver returned from running an errand for him.
The driver took him there after Olumide left the Lagos office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission where he was allegedly questioned over his role in the administration of Daniel.
The Ogun State Government seized the Golf Resort Hotel, of which Olumide was chairman, because of allegations that Daniel built it with state resources.
It is held by the government as a public trust.
The statement by Ikemefuna reads: “Available information has it that the deceased went to the lakeside of the Resort behind the State Secretariat, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, with his driver at about 19.30hrs (7.30pm).
“He later sent his driver back on errand to his house at Ita- Eko, Surulere area of Abeokuta.
“When the driver came back, the Chief could not be located but his shoes and cap were found by the lakeside.
“A search party was immediately drafted to the scene. The search continued till about 01hrs (1am) of 17 March, 2012 without success.
“However, at about 6hrs (6am), the search resumed and the body of the deceased was recovered at about 9hrs (9am). The body was viewed and no mark of violence was observed.”