The Oyo State Police Command, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are currently at loggerheads over an alleged attack of some APC members.
The APC is the major opposition political party in the state while the PDP is the ruling party.
DAILY POST recalls that some members of APC had on Tuesday staged a solidarity walk in support of APC presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
They were led by the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 election, Senator Teslim Folarin.
Other members of the party who participated in the solidarity walk included; senatorial candidates in Oyo Central and North, Dr. Yunus Akintunde, and Dr. Abdulfatai Buhari, respectively.
The APC claimed that some of its members were attacked.
The police, in its reaction, said that no one attacked the APC members, but it was a case of an isolated robbery attack.
The PDP, in its own reaction, urged the police to investigate the APC candidate.
It was an armed robbery case – Police
The state police command has said that it was an armed robbery attack.
A statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso said that no one attacked the APC members, insisting that it was an isolated armed robbery case reported at the Idi-Aro Police Headquarters, Ibadan South-East Local Government Area.
He noted that the police provided adequate security for the APC members during the attack.
He insisted that an unsuspecting party supporter was dispossessed of his black TVS motorcycle and was shot by hoodlums adorning the same campaign T-shirts outside the rally axis.
He concluded that the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams, has ordered investigations into the incident.
Osifeso said, “However, an isolated case of Armed-robbery was reported at the Idi-Aro Divisional Police Headquarters, Ibadan South-East LGA, where an unsuspecting party supporter was dispossessed of his Black TVS Motorcycle and was shot by hoodlums adorning same campaign T-shirts outside the rally axis.
“Preliminary investigations reveal that the Unsuspecting party victim, One Chukwuemeka Okoh ‘m’ 22 years was approached by (2) unknown adult males to assist them in catching up with the advancing campaign train, a gesture which he obliged because they were adorned in similar T-shirts.
“While the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Police Command, CP Adebowale Williams has ordered immediate investigations into the incident, the CP also warns members of the Public against unnecessarily heating up the Polity with inciting utterances and provocative gestures”.
Our members were truly attacked – APC
The state chapter of APC, however, insisted that its members were attacked.
Publicity Secretary of the party, Wasiu Olawale Sadare, argued that one of the APC members, Emeka Okoro was badly injured after he was shot by the attackers.
He added that the victim, Okoro, belonged to a pro-APC Support Group known as Oyo State Non-Indigene Residents for Tinubu/Folarin.
He added that another victim of the attack is an APC member from Ogbomoso North, Mr. Tayo Oyelola , who sustained machete wounds.
Other victims of Tuesday’s attack, according to Sadare are; Mukaila Lawal, Usman Adebayo, Emmanuel Akinbode, and Ridwan Gberu.
Sadare concluded by urging the police and other security agencies to investigate the matter.
He said, “It is more worrisome that the claims from the CP came hours after one Jelili Emiola, who was said to be the spokesman for the chief culprit, Mukaila Auxiliary, had told the whole world that the bloody attacks were carried out by a supposed group of erstwhile APC members who had defected to Accord Party even though he (Emiola) made a futile attempt to diverse attention from his principal who was clearly seen and identified by many people as the leader of the attackers.
“For the record, Mr. Emeka Okoro was badly injured as he was shot at by the attackers. Okoro belonged to a Pro-APC Support Group known as Oyo State Non-Indigene Residents for Tinubu/Folarin. The young man is now recuperating at a private clinic in Ibadan. Another victim is an APC faithful from Ogbomoso North, Mr. Tayo Oyelola (a.k.a Ekiti) who sustained several matchet wounds. Others with varying degrees of injury are Mukaila Lawal, Usman Adebayo, Emmanuel Akinbode and Ridwan Gberu”.
Investigate Folarin now – PDP tells police
The PDP has urged the police to investigate the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin.
PDP, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Engineer Akeem Olatunji, said that Folarin is capable of anything.
He then called on the state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams, and the Department of State Security Services (DSS) to immediately investigate the APC gubernatorial candidate over alleged stockpiling of arms ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He alleged that Folarin had commenced the recruitment of political thugs and hoodlums.
He revealed that the APC plans to deploy the thugs to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens and perceived political enemies in the state.
Olatunji said, “We have also gathered that Folarin has commenced the recruitment of political thugs and hoodlums the APC is planning to deploy to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens and perceived political enemies within his APC in Oyo state and thereafter, crying wolf to discredit efforts of the state government and security agencies in the state.
“By this, we are calling on the Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Williams and the Department of State Security Services (DSS) to set machineries in motion to thoroughly investigate Oloye Teslim Kolawole Folarin because his conducts and actions have shown beyond all reasonable doubt that his selfish political aspiration is superior to human lives and security of the state”.
