Senator adopts children of aide allegedly killed by rogue soldiers in Lagos, associates raise N55m

Adeniyi Sanni, a staff member for Senator Solomon Adeola who was killed, was buried on Wednesday by his friends, family, and coworkers.

As the remains of the late senator’s assistant, Sanni, were displayed during the church ceremony and interred in the Redeemed Camp vault, Mowe, along the Lagos-Ibadan Motorway, Sanni’s widow, children, relatives, and other sympathisers wept.

In the wee hours of Saturday, August 5, 2023, Sanni was killed in Lagos.

The late Sanni was stopped by security personnel at a checkpoint in Ojodu while en route to his home in Isheri, Lagos, according to a statement from the senator’s media adviser, Kayode Odunaro. He was asked to show the registration for the vehicle he was driving, which he did through his wife, who sent all the documents to his phone via WhatsApp.

Odunaro claimed that shortly after, the wife called his friends to report that she was unable to reach her husband on the phone, requiring the organisation of a search party.

She was allegedly called later by onlookers via the next-of-kin phone number listed on her husband’s driver’s licence after learning that his body had been found discarded with gunshot wounds near the Toyota Bus Stop in Oshodi, Lagos.

In a separate statement on Monday, Senator Adeola claimed that his aide had been murdered by soldiers working for Brigadier General Nsikan Edet, the recently-deployed commander of the 9 Brigade at the Ikeja Cantonment of the Nigerian Army.

After the funeral, Babatunde Raji-Label, the director general of Senator Adeola’s campaign organisation, revealed to our correspondent that the senator had adopted the deceased’s children, Moraraoluwa, Oluwashindara, and Oluwafeyidara.

The deceased’s companions had raised more than N55 million at the senator’s request, he continued, to care for his mother, grandmother, and other close relatives who were all elderly.

He added that Adeola had made the decision to pay the deceased’s mother a monthly salary for the rest of her life.

In addition to paying their school expenses, the senator has also adopted the kids, according to Raji-Label, and he will take care of them.

The senator suggested that we raise money for Sanni because he has children, a mother, and a grandmother the day after Sanni passed away. We reached out to friends and colleagues, and as of right now, we have more than N55 million.

“This is to ensure that the kids won’t have any problems with their education by paying their school expenses from the classes they’re in now through secondary school. Additionally, we kept Chrisland, which is their current school. The wife and mother of the dead are to receive all of the remaining funds, according to the senator’s instructions.

Additionally, he pledged to pay the mother a monthly stipend until God called her home. He’ll take care of his wife in the same way.

Raji-Label expressed hope that the murderers of Sanni will be apprehended and justice done.

“They (the murderers) must not rest; they must glance back because God will pursue them. Since his death was horrible, he will catch them and have them convicted. So they must make a payment. They shouldn’t go to sleep after doing this. They can’t sleep because they have murdered slumber, he alleged.

In a different statement made by Odunaro on Wednesday, Adeola referred to his dead assistant as irreplaceable.

“I can’t possibly find Niyi a replacement, you know. He is my blood and has been a loyal helper for almost 20 years. His senseless passing has left me deeply upset. As a father figure to him, I was required to abstain from attending his funeral as per custom, the statement said.

The pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Rhema Chapel (Young Adult and Youth Church), Gbenga Odunowo, stated the departed had an impression while they were still living during the funeral service.

“Today we gather to rejoice in a life well lived in Christ. Our brother’s contribution is notable. His influence on people’s life is considerable. We ought to honour the contribution he made to life even if the race is over, Odunowo remarked.