Hoodlums Attack Aregbesola’s Oranmiyan House in Osogbo

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

As Osun APC crisis assumed another dimension, hoodlums bearing arms yesterday attacked Oranmiyan House, owned by Minister of Interior , Rauf Aregbesola, after weekly meetings of his political associates, The Osun Progressives (TOP).

The building, which is located around Coca cola area along Osogbo-Gbongan road, Osogbo, Osun state, was attacked around 5:30pm and was shattered with bullets.

The hoodlums also attacked and shot at the transformer and the canopies used to hold the weekly meeting within the building complex.

However, the canopies caught fire before it was put out by workers and shop owners around the building.

An eye witness, Sholagbade Abass , disclosed that the hoodlums arrived the building in two vehicles, a red Sienna vehicle and Toyota bus parked on the side leading to Ogo-Oluwa and opened fire on the building.

According to him “Shortly after our meeting today, the people had already left, some thugs came in two vehicles. One red Sienna car and a bus, around 5:30pm, parked on the other side of the road, move towards the building with pump action rifle and started shooting. It was very difficult to count their number but going by the over 30 cartridges on the floor, their number is large, they started shelling the building.

“They also shot sporadically at the transformer to set it on fire so that the whole building will be razed. But luckily, the canopies caught fire and the people we mobilised quickly to extinguish the fire after the hoodlums escaped through Gbongan/Osogbo road.”

He explained that their drivers were on standby, while they were able to count six pump-action and other weapons, adding that the hoodlums operated for 15 minutes.

However, there was a viral video, which showed a suspect who was allegedly caught by police in connection with the shooting being bundled into a police patrol vehicle opposite the building.

Reacting to the attack, the Alhaji Rasak Ayobami Salinsile-led faction of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Osun State, said the attack climaxed a litany of others on members of the APC who are opposed to the style of governance and party administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola in the state.

In a statement titled, “The Horrendous Gun Attacks on Oranmiyan Building Today,” Salinsile said:”The entire good people of Osun must be alarmed at the incident at the Oranmiyan Building Osogbo today.

For clarity purpose, APC led by me as its chairman had just rounded up a meeting of its key stakeholders in the evening of Thursday February 3rd, 2022.”

“However, hardly had the people departed than deafening sounds of gunshots were heard from the main Gbongan-Osogbo Road. At this point, everyone knew the building had come under attacks.”

He added:”In the gun mayhem that lasted for about 10 minutes during which the few people left in the building scampered for safety, windowpanes were shattered while an attempt was made to set the entire building on fire.

“The gunmen shot into the transformer that is very close to the building apparently with the intention to ignite a fire that could possibly raze the edifice down.

“The canopies, which were used for the meeting that had just ended indeed caught fire and it took the efforts of those around the building and kind neighbor to put out the fire before more damage could be done.

Today’s attacks climaxed a litany of others on members of the APC who are opposed to the style of governance and party administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola in the state.”

“On the 18th of November last year, a similar attack was carried out in the daylight when gunmen shot into the crowd of members at the same Oranmiyan House. Till date, nothing has been heard of that incident.”

According to him, just Tuesday, thugs were sent after party members in Ikirun during a Federal Constituency meeting.

“The police, rather than arrest the thugs that unleashed mayhem on elderly women and men, went from house to house of our leaders and members to arrest them in a midnight raid.

“They were on Wednesday sent to Ilesa Correctional Centre.

At this stage, all we can do is to alert the whole world to the fast descent into anarchy under the watch of Governor Oyetola and in particular, the devilish plot to mow down APC leaders and members who refuse to go along with him on his misadventure. We call on the security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, be alive to their duties before more havoc are wreaked by the desperation of the Governor,” he declared.