The Ondo State Government has appointed a group of men, including individuals accused of attacking pro-democracy activists during the June 12 Democracy Day protest in Akure, as coordinators of commercial tricycle (Keke) riders in Akure South Local Government Area.
A government appointment letter dated September 15, 2025, signed by Comrade Bola Taiwo, Special Adviser to the Governor on Union Matters and Special Duties, confirmed the appointments of Robert Tolulope, Oladapo Oluwaseun, aka Choco Milo; Gbenga Aluko; John Oluwatimilehin, aka Gaga, and Faleye Oluwadamilare, aka Aperi.
According to the letter, the appointees are mandated to supervise the activities of tricycle operators, coordinate with authorities on safety and orderliness, sell government revenue tickets, and provide weekly reports to the Special Adviser’s office.
The appointees were directed to report to the “office of the Special Adviser, Special Duties, on the progress and challenges faced by the riders under your jurisdiction on a weekly basis”.
Meanwhile, Aluko has faced serious allegations stemming from his role in a violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators during this year’s Democracy Day rally in Akure.
In June, SaharaReporters detailed how Aluko, a notorious political enforcer, led an assault on protesters, including human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore.
The June 12 demonstration, organized to protest bad governance and economic hardship, was disrupted by thugs acting in concert with police operatives.
SaharaReporters reported that Aluko, known for his past ties to the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and alleged involvement in political violence, commanded a group of cultists who attacked the procession as it moved through Cathedral Junction around 7:30 a.m.
Eyewitnesses recounted that the demonstrators, who had been singing and marching peacefully under police supervision, were ambushed from behind.
Shockingly, officers on the scene stood by as the attackers assaulted participants, raising concerns about police complicity.
Sowore, who was among those targeted, later accused the police and hired enforcers of colluding to suppress dissent and intimidate citizens exercising their democratic rights.
The situation escalated when Sowore arrived at the scene. As he attempted to alight from his vehicle, the assailants reportedly shouted, “Sowore is here, let’s attack him. He’s the leader of this group!”
Sowore’s vehicle quickly withdrew, narrowly avoiding an attack, while the thugs pursued on foot.
Convicted of Cultism and Murder in 2020
Aluko has a history with the law, having been arraigned and sentenced to death in the Ekiti State High Court on charges of secret cult membership, unlawful firearm possession, and murder.
In September 2020, the Ekiti State High Court in Ado-Ekiti sentenced Gbenga Aluko, then 29 years old, to death by hanging for his involvement in cult-related violence and the killing of three individuals in the state.
Presiding over the case, Justice Abiodun Adesodun held that the prosecution had successfully proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The charges against Aluko stated that he was a member of the Eiye Confraternity, a proscribed secret society, contrary to Section 4 of the Secret Cult (Abolition and Prohibition) First Amendment Law No. 6 of Ekiti State, 2017.
In a confessional statement tendered in court, Aluko reportedly admitted that he and his cult group in Ado-Ekiti were responsible for orchestrating the killings of individuals believed to be rival cultists.
The prosecution, led by Julius Ajibare, called two witnesses during the trial, although no physical exhibits were presented. The defence did not present any witnesses, but Aluko was represented by his counsel, Femi Adetoye.
Aluko and three other members of the Eiye Fraternity, identified as Ayodele Ayodeji (31), Olamide Olurunsola (43), and Adewale Adekunle (23), all from Ifaki Ekiti, had been arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in February 2019.
They were accused of being involved in the targeted killings of rival cult members from the Aiye confraternity across Ekiti and Ondo states
According to the police, items recovered during the arrest included a cutlass, charms, one Dell laptop, two iPad devices, one Infinix phone, and a photograph of a foreign woman.
A Dramatic Legal Reversal
However, in a dramatic reversal three years later, the Ekiti State High Court in Ado-Ekiti acquitted and discharged Aluko in March 2023 of charges including secret cult membership, unlawful possession of firearms, and murder.
The prosecution’s case had included an eyewitness statement alleging that the witness and the deceased, William Ayegboro, were conversing at a beer parlour in the Atikankan area of Ado-Ekiti around 8 p.m. when an unidentified person shot Ayegboro in the face.
The gunman’s face, according to the witness, was not clearly seen. The victim later died at the hospital.
In his defence, Aluko admitted he had previously been involved in cult activities but claimed he had renounced such affiliations before relocating to Ado-Ekiti. He maintained he had no involvement in the killing, asserting he was in Akure at the time of the incident.
Justice Adekunle Adeleye accepted Aluko’s alibi.
Aluko was consequently acquitted and released from custody.
