Tributes as former ECOMOG commander, Olurin, dies at 76

A former field commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia, General Adetunji Olurin (retd), died on Saturday at the age of 76. Olurin, who was a military administrator of Oyo State, reportedly died at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in the early hours of Saturday. PODCAST: […]

A former field commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia, General Adetunji Olurin (retd), died on Saturday at the age of 76.

Olurin, who was a military administrator of Oyo State, reportedly died at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in the early hours of Saturday.

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Olurin, a political ally of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, died after a brief illness; his brother, Funsho Olurin, confirmed to newsmen.

He was also the military administrator of Ekiti State from October 8, 2006 to April 27, 2007. He hailed from Ilaro in the Ogun west senatorial district.

He was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Ogun State in the 2011 general elections.

Meanwhile, tributes have been pouring in for the retired general. Governor Dapo Abiodun, former Governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel, a former governorship candidate in the state, Gboyega Nasiru Isiaka and the senator representing Lagos west, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, have sent in their condolence messages.

President Muhammadu Buhari has also condoled with the government and people of Ogun, Ekiti and Oyo states, over the death of the former military administrator.

President Buhari, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, joined family, friends and professional colleagues in mourning the late military officer, who he said served the country meritoriously.

Meanwhile, Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has expressed his condolences on the death of former Administrator of the State, Brig.-Gen. Adetunji Idowu Olurin (rtd.), who died Saturday morning, aged 76 years.

Gen. Olurin, a former Military Governor of the old Oyo State, served as Sole Administrator of Ekiti State for six months between October 19, 2006 and April 27, 2007 during the state of emergency imposed by the Olusegun Obasanjo Administration in the wake of political crisis that engulfed the state.

Governor Fayemi, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, described Gen. Olurin’s death as a great loss to Nigeria, Ogun State, his home state and Ekiti, which he helped stabilise during the six-month emergency rule.

He described the late General as a selfless statesman, courageous soldier and an altruistic patriot who served his country diligently while in active service and during his retirement.

The governor pointed out that the deceased discharged his duties as the Sole Administrator of Ekiti State with a great measure of fairness and firmness and left some legacies he would be remembered for in the annals of history of the Land of Honour.

From Peter Moses, Abeokuta,  Muideen Olaniyi, Abuja & Raphael Ogbonnaiye, Ado-Ekiti