Some gun-wielding thugs attacked the weekly meeting of factional members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osogbo, Osun state capital.
Members of the APC loyal to Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, known as The Osun Progressives, TOP, were holding their weekly meeting at the Oranmiyan House along Osogbo-Gbongan road when some thugs arrived in a black Toyota Sienna vehicle around 2:10 pm.
Three persons alighted from the vehicle, which first parked at Gbodofon junction, with guns and shot sporadically into the air to disperse the gathering while one of the thugs walked towards the entrance gate, shop owners around the area scampered for safety.
They retreated into the car, made a U-turn, and drove towards Gbodofon bridge. The vehicle parked opposite the Oranmiyan building and the gunmen alighted again shooting into the air for about two minutes before they drove off towards Gbongan road shooting into the air.
When the meeting reconvened, TOP Chairman, Elder Lowo Adebiyi alleged the state government of masterminding the attack and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the security situation within the party in the state.
This is unfortunate, we are members of the same party, yet, those in government send thugs to attack us. We have different views as members of the same party, but they should not sponsor thugs to attack us, we are not in opposition. We will report the matter to the Divisional Police Officer and the Commissioner of Police.
We have been holding our meetings here weekly and have never been attacked, but, today, officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, that do provide security for us were on duty outside the state and we were attacked. You are aware that one of the cabinet members under Governor Adegboyega Oyetola criticised the NSCDC publicly for providing security and today because they were not here some thugs shot at us.
Reacting, spokesperson to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, Mr Ismail Omipidan described Adebiyi as a serial liar, whose allegation should not be taken seriously.
“I have intelligence report that Abdulrasaq Salinsile, the former APC Secretary in the State, met with one of those that were alleged to have carried out today’s attack. I want to believe they are acting out a script already prepared by them.
“We want the concerned security agencies in the State to watch Adebiyi closely, as he appears to be up to something sinister.
“My Principal is not a violent man and will never support any violence in whatever form. I strongly urge our former governor and current Interior minister, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to disown Adebiyi before he rubbishes his good office”, he said.
Source: Vanguard
