THE Osun State Police Command has arrested the state Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Anjorin, over an alleged gun attack on members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the latest eruption of violence in the state ahead of Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election.
News Point Nigeria reports that an operative of the Osun State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun, was also arrested in connection with the incident, which occurred during an APC rally in Ilesa.
Three persons were hit by bullets when some men allegedly stormed the APC rally in Ilesa and opened fire on the crowd. The injured, Tobi Ilesanmi, Wasiu Alanide and Aderemi Adedeji were rushed to hospital for treatment.
The Osun State Police Command, in a statement issued through its Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, last night, said the gunmen were allegedly led by Anjorin, who drove to the rally and opened fire.
According to the police, some of Anjorin’s companions were wearing Amotekun uniforms.
After allegedly carrying out the attack, the suspects fled the scene but were chased by some members of the public, resulting in the apprehension of some of the fleeing gunmen.
The police said one of the suspected Amotekun personnel pulled a knife on his pursuers and attempted to stab them in an effort to free himself.
Ojelabi said operatives of the Force Intelligence Department-Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), acting on information about the incident, mobilised to the area and sighted a Lexus vehicle with registration number ABJ-89TS.
He said an individual identified as an Amotekun operative was found inside the vehicle and allegedly had a pump-action firearm in his possession.
The vehicle and its occupants were subsequently arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for questioning and further investigation.
Ojelabi said preliminary investigation identified one of the occupants as Anjorin, the Commissioner for Environment.
The Command also acknowledged allegations linking another individual, Hon. Wale Akerele, to the incident, but stressed that the claim remained under investigation.
“No individual should be presumed guilty until the investigation establishes otherwise,” the police said.
The police said four expanded cartridges and an Amotekun cap were recovered at the scene.
The Command said its investigation would determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, identify all those involved, establish the source and ownership of the firearms allegedly used and determine the level of involvement of each person connected with the incident.
The Command urged political parties, candidates, their supporters and members of the public to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
Soon after the shooting yesterday, the APC issued a statement accusing the Accord Party of instigating the violence during an APC rally at Oke-Omiru, Ilesa.
The Accord Party countered with its own statement, alleging that its office and billboard in the town were vandalised by APC supporters.
Besides, the Accord Party accused the leadership of the APC in the state of importing and harbouring election result hackers at a hotel in Osogbo, Osun State.
It asked security agencies to apprehend the alleged culprits.
The APC denied the allegation and declared that it had no reason whatsoever to manipulate the election process.
The Nation gathered that early yesterday, APC supporters embarked on a rally at the Oke-Omiru area of Ilesa and, while proceeding towards Isokun, suspected thugs allegedly shot into the air to scare them.
A party member who identified himself as Segun said: “We were having an early morning rally today (yesterday) when on our way back to our secretariat, were ambushed by some men led by a member of the Osun State House of Assembly.
“They shot into the air to scare us but some of us refused to run. We charged at them then they fired into the campaign rally leaving many injured.
“We later regrouped and the lawmaker mobilised his men to the scene again to disrupt our rally. We were attacked and maimed. It is so unfortunate.”
Segun said the injured were taken to the hospital for treatment.
According to him, a truck driver and some passers-by were also hit by bullets allegedly fired by the Accord Party men.
“One of our members named Tobi is currently at Wesley Guild Teaching Hospital,” Segun said.
The APC Campaign Council, in its official version of the incident, accused the Chief Whip of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Wale Akerele, of masterminding the “unprovoked and violent attack on our peaceful campaign rally.”
Engr. Omowaiye Oluremi, Head of the Media and Publicity Committee of the campaign council, said: “Our members were holding a peaceful campaign procession in Ilesa West when Hon. Akerele, accompanied by armed Amotekun personnel, opened direct fire on the crowd.
“Scores of APC members sustained injuries while scampering for safety, four individuals, including a 12-year-old boy, Oluwatobi Ilesanmi, who was shot.
“The victims of the gunfire have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Ilesa for urgent medical attention.
“We call on the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to immediately arrest and investigate Hon. Wale Akerele and the participating Amotekun operatives.
“APC urged all well-meaning citizens and civil society organisations to condemn this continuous and reckless maiming of innocent citizens by the ruling party elements. Our party and members remained undeterred and will not be cowed by these desperate, violent tactics of the ruling party in the state.”
Akerele disputed the APC version of events.
His words: “I was driving along Isokun road when the APC rally met me. They started shooting into the air but I had my security who are Amotekun inside the car.
“They shot into the air to scare them. Then we left the place.
“I was later called by the DPO that there was an allegation against me that I shot at APC members, I quickly went to the station to honour the invite and state my own side of the story.
“On my way back from the police station, I still ran into them again and that time they were prepared to attack me, then the Amotekun acted in defence.
“There is no way that I will drive and still be shooting. It was one of the members of APC that even said I should not mind them.”
When the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, was contacted about the incident, he promised to get back to our correspondent on the matter.
State Chairman of the Accord Party, Mr Victor Akande, said in a statement in Osogbo that alleged hackers were imported to manipulate the results of the governorship election in favour of the APC.
“The hackers were brought in from Lagos and Abuja and they have set up an operational center at the hotel. Their target is to compromise the INEC electronic system to impute fake election results into the INEC ser,” Akande said.
He asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be on its guard.
Spokesman of the APC, Kola Olabisi, however, debunked the claim as false and baseless.
His party, he said, did not need to engage in electoral fraud to win the election as the majority of the electorate were on its side.
Olabisi warned the Accord Party against frivolous claims, saying fear of defeat was responsible for the allegations raised against the APC by the Accord Party.
He said: “The allegation that our party is harbouring hackers in a particular hotel in Osogbo is false without any foundation, and there is no basis for that.
“It is an attempt to lower the esteem of our party in the eyes of the right-thinking members of society. Our party does not need to rig any election before our candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, wins the election.
“It is the fear of losing the election that is haunting the Accord Party functionaries who are peddling the information. It is nothing but a figment of the imagination of those peddling the rumour. There is nothing like that. If they are sure that we are harbouring any hacker, the right place for the Accord Party to go is the police.”
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has constituted a 73-member Election Management Council to coordinate its activities for the polls.
Leading the council is former Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke, with former Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal as chairman and his erstwhile deputy, Emeka Ihedioha, and General Kabiru Nadama (rtd.) as co-chairmen.
The ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said yesterday that the council was tasked with coordinating and overseeing the party’s campaign activities ahead of the governorship election, including mobilisation and preparations for the final campaign rally.
The ADC campaign will climax tomorrow with a final rally at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo.