The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has described the death of foremost labour activist and secretary of Joint Action Front (JAF), Comrade Abiodun Aremu, as a great loss to the labour movement and the global human rights community.
He expressed condolences to his immediate family and the labour movement, and prayed that God comforts them through this mourning period.
Mr Aremu, also a leader of the Amílcar Cabral Ideological School Movement (ACIS-M), a leftist organisation, which just opened its secretariat in Nigeria, was reportedly knocked down by a vehicle at about 8 p.m. on Sunday.
Iba Adams described the nature of Aremu’s death by a supposed hit-and-run driver as suspicious, adding that it deserves investigation.
He called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to his death, with a view to unraveling Aremu’s killer and the motive behind the alleged accident.
Iba Adams specifically called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Department of State Service (DSS) to urgently look into the death of Comrade Aremu and unmask his killers.
The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland noted that the late Aremu was a brilliant human rights crusader, who stood for whatever he believed in, regardless of pressure.
Adams recalled that Aremu was among the human right leaders who taught him some principles of activism early in his struggle for emancipation of the Yoruba race.
“Aremu was a renowned student union leader. He was one of the leaders of the Campaign for Democracy, and also the Oodua Youth Movement,” Adams said.
He also recalled that Aremu was among the activists who fought against the annulment of June 12, 1993 mandate of the late M.K.O. Abiola, and was also active in the June 12 struggle between 1993 and 1999.
Adams prayed for the repose of Comrade Aremu’s soul. He also called on the labour movement and human rights community to immortalise the memory of the departed labour leader.
