APC Primaries: Hamburger’s Killing Reinforces Alooma’s Fear for His Life

The killing of Alhaji Rasak Bello, popularly known as “Hamburger,” during the All Progressives Congress (APC) councillorship primaries in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State on May 29, 2017, has reinforced the fears that earlier forced his close political associate, Elias Adebara Idris, popularly known as “Alooma,” to leave Nigeria.

Adebara had fled the country before the APC primaries following a series of threats, attacks and other incidents which, according to people familiar with his experience, had raised serious concerns about his safety.

The news of Bello’s gruesome murder therefore came as a chilling confirmation of the danger Adebara had feared before his departure.

Bello was reportedly shot dead on May 29, 2017, during violence that erupted around the APC councillorship primaries in Shogunle, Oshodi. The incident occurred amid growing tension between rival political interests within the local political structure.

The killing sparked panic in parts of Oshodi, with reports of further violence and reprisal attacks following the incident. The police subsequently commenced investigations into the circumstances surrounding Bello’s death and the violence that accompanied the primaries.

But behind the killing was another story of political tension involving Bello’s political associate and supporter, Adebara, whose ambition to contest the councillorship election had reportedly become a source of friction within the local APC structure.

Adebara had sought the APC ticket to contest for the position of councillor representing Ward E2, Ladipo/Ewu, in Oshodi/Isolo. Bello had openly supported his candidature, a position that reportedly brought both men into conflict with rival interests within the local political structure.

According to sources familiar with the development, the situation became increasingly hostile after Bello declared his support for Adebara.

It was alleged that Adebara and Bello were warned to abandon the political ambition or face deadly consequences. The alleged threats were reportedly followed by physical attacks and other forms of intimidation.

Adebara was reportedly severely beaten after attending a ward meeting and lost two teeth in the attack. It was also alleged that unidentified individuals followed him on two occasions and that, during one of the incidents, a gun was pointed at him.

He was also said to have received a written threat to his life.

The incidents reportedly heightened Adebara’s fears and eventually influenced his decision to leave Nigeria before the APC primaries.

For him, however, the most disturbing development came after his departure, when news reached him that Bello had been killed during the May 29 primaries.

The death of Bello, a man who had openly supported his political ambition, reportedly reinforced Adebara’s belief that the threats and attacks he had experienced before leaving Nigeria were not empty warnings.

Contemporary reports identified Bello as one of the victims of the violence that erupted during the APC councillorship primaries in Oshodi. He was reportedly shot during the fracas surrounding the exercise.

The police launched investigations into the killing, while the incident generated widespread concern among political supporters and residents in the area.

The violence surrounding the primaries also highlighted the broader problem of political violence in Nigeria, where electoral contests, particularly at the grassroots level, had frequently been accompanied by intimidation, clashes and attacks.

For Adebara, the events in Oshodi were more than another episode of political violence.

He had entered politics with the ambition of representing his community. Bello’s support had strengthened his resolve to contest for the councillorship seat, but the threats and attacks allegedly directed at him eventually made him fear for his life.

By the time the APC primaries took place on May 29, Adebara was already outside Nigeria.

The news that his political associate had been shot dead during the contest he had sought to participate in reportedly deepened his fears about what might have happened had he remained in the country.

Adebara’s political ambition in Oshodi/Isolo was consequently brought to an end, not by the outcome of the primary election, but by circumstances that had made participation increasingly dangerous for him.

The death of Hamburger thus became a defining episode in a political story that had already driven Adebara into exile.

For Adebara, the killing was a grim reminder of the threats he had faced before leaving Nigeria and a disturbing indication of how far political rivalry could go when competition descended into violence.