Worried by the spate of organized attacks on the members and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, by political hoodlums loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the recently sacked Governor Ademola Adeleke, the state chapter of the APC has tasked the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, to urgently prevail on the leadership of the state police command to prioritize its statutory function of the protection of lives and property of the residents of the state.
Information authoritatively has it that the PDP political thugs have formed themselves into cells in Osogbo, the state capital, where they were burning tyres in the middle of the roads amidst intimidation of innocent people.
It was gathered that the PDP thugs have forcefully taken the possession of commercial vehicles and motorcycles from their legitimate owners/drivers on the streets of Osogbo and conscripting the commuters to join their protest against the yesterday’s tribunal judgement which sacked Governor Adeleke and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to collect the certificate of return from him and give same to Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.
It was also learnt that the PDP thugs replicated the needless attacks of innocent people in Ila-Orangun, Ile-Ife and other towns in the state while the campaign office of former state commissioner for works and transport, Engr Remi Omowaiye, in Ilesa, was said to be under a fierce attack by the hoodlums with guns booming at the time of putting this story together.
In his statement, the Acting Chairman of the APC in Osun State, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, condemned the attacks describing it as unfortunate, needless, primitive, wicked and inconsiderate.
He stated that there was no basis for the PDP and Governor Adeleke to resort to promotion and sponsorship of violence in the state as such is antithetical to genuine democratic norms.
Lawal who enjoined the Inspector-General of Police to direct the state leadership of the police command to be alive to its constitutional responsibility of protection of the lives and property of the people stated that the police is not seen to be doing enough in the prevailing circumstance in the state.
The Acting APC chairman said it was appalling, worrisome and strange as the PDP political thugs are moving round some popular streets in Osogbo brandishing sophisticated guns and amunitions with which they attack and terrorise the innocent residents of the state.
In Lawal’s words: “It is strange that the police in the state are looking away while these agents of death are perpetrating their political violence on the innocent people of the state.
“If the leadership of the police does not tackle the lingering insecurity issue headlong, there is a temptation by discerning minds to observe, suspect, believe and conclude that the police are working in cahoots with the PDP and the recently sacked Governor Adeleke to terrorise the opposition members in the state”, the state APC chairman opined.