The leadership of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Ogun State has replaced Abass Olalekan with Lawal Aishatu as Local Government Inspector in Abeokuta South Local Government.
His replacement followed the death of Victoria Ariyo, a corps member serving in the LGA at the time of her death, and claims that he got her to abort a pregnancy he was responsible for.
Aishatu previously served as LGI in Ewekoro. On March 10, Aishatu announced her new posting in a WhatsApp group for corps members in Ewekoro LGA. Coincidentally, it was the evening of the same day Ariyo was buried.
“I would like to inform you that I have been transferred from Ewekoro Local Government to Abeokuta South Local Government Area to serve as the Local Government Inspector (LGI),” Aishatu wrote, adding that, “All handing over will be done tomorrow morning.”
It was Olalekan who announced the death and coordinated the burial of the young woman.
But the source said he did not know the person responsible for her pregnancy.
Those who are close to Ariyo said Abass [Olalekan] was the one who impregnated her,” the source, earlier cited in the first report, said.
“People have been speaking in hushed tones since her death. What I have heard so far is that her family checked her phone and saw the conversations between her and the LGI to the extent that he was the one who forced her to terminate the pregnancy.”
Oluseyi Babaseyi, spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command “confirmed that Miss Ariyo’s death is under investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department” on Sunday but declined to respond to whether Olalekan was in custody.
Efforts to hear from Igba Emmanuel, spokesperson for NYSC in Ogun State, proved abortive at press time as he did not answer his calls.
However, the national secretariat of the NYSC confirmed that Olalekan “has been taken into custody” in a statement signed by Caroline Embu, its spokesperson, on Saturday.
“We wish to confirm that the matter is currently under investigation by relevant security agencies, and the individual concerned has been taken into custody,” Embu said.
“We wish to use this medium to reiterate that the NYSC maintains a strict code of conduct for its staff and corps members and will not condone any act of misconduct or abuse of office.”