Hoodlums Set Ablaze Ogun Deputy Speaker’s Campaign Office

Hoodlums Set Ablaze Ogun Deputy Speaker’s Campaign Office

Femi Ogbonnikan in Abeokuta

Pandemonium broke out in Ifo last Sunday night when hoodlums invaded the campaign office of the Deputy Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon Olakunle Oluomo, and burnt it down.

Five vehicles parked within the premises of the campaign office were also burnt down.

It was gathered that trouble started at the grand finale of a cultural festival, ‘Akoogun’, in the ancient town when one of the boys allegedly opposed to the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 9 governorship election, invited political thugs and road transport union workers to unleash mayhem on Oluomo, a staunch supporter of the governor-elect and the re-elected House of Assembly member in Ifo 1 constituency.

According to the deputy speaker in a save-my-soul petition to the state Commissioner of Police yesterday, he learnt that the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) trailed one of the boys to the venue of the ‘Akoogun’ festival and arrested him while in possession of a gun.

“I learnt that while SARS operatives attempted to whisky him away to their office, his colleagues cordoned off the armed policemen in a bid to prevent them from taking him away.

In that attempt, the hoodlums retrieved the gun from the policemen and even attempted to seize an AK-47 rifle from one of the policemen.

In the ensued melee, one of the boys was killed and the policemen escaped from the scene,” he narrated.

Shortly after, Oluomo stated that the boys later regrouped and started attacking any APC members or supporters in sight.

According to him, “they were accusing APC supporters for inviting the SARS operatives.

“They later mobilised themselves in large numbers, moved to my constituency office and set ablaze five vehicles-three Mercedes 42-seater buses, One Isuzu luxury bus and a 36-seater coaster bus-that I use for free school shuttle.

“The entire office was razed down before they later moved down to the constituency office of Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka, who is a re-elected Ifo/Ewekoro federal constituency lawmaker and burnt it down as well.

“I must state here that they have been trailing me since I won the March 9 election. In fact, I have to seek police protection for my house and office for the first two weeks after the election because they kept threatening that they would bring me down on/or before May 29.

“I hereby appeal to all security agencies in Ogun State to please give special attention to Ifo (I understand they have planned another attack for today being Monday again) and order a thorough investigation into matter in order to bring the perpetrators to book.”

When contacted, the spokesman of the state police command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident.

He said the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Alhaji Bashir Makama, had directed the operatives to go after the suspected assailants.

According to Oyeyemi, “the command is already on it as I am talking to you now.

“CP Makama, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in-charge of operations and that of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) are all on their way to Ifo.

“I can assure you that those behind the destructive act will be fished out and brought to book.”

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