The thugs were heading for the primary elections of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State on Wednesday when they were rounded up.
The Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, and officials of the Oyo State National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), otherwise known as Motor Park Managers (PMS), on Thursday morning sent a delegation to the Ondo State Police Command to pressurise the Nigerian Army to release 150 political thugs arrested at Ita Awure/Efon Junction, Osun State.
The thugs had been reported to be heading for the primary elections of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State on Wednesday when they were rounded up.
SaharaReporters had on Wednesday reported that the personnel of the Nigerian Army intercepted the government-sponsored hoodlums around 3am.
SaharaReporters learnt on Thursday that the state governor made some contacts for the release of the thugs, while the notorious chairman of the PMS in the state, Mukaila Lamidi popularly called Auxiliary, also approached the army for their release but the military declined.
The Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed to Fresh FM during an interview that the Ondo command was trying to get the arrested thugs from soldiers for prosecution.[story_link align="left"]104127[/story_link]
SaharaReporters recalled that the Makinde-led government also allegedly mobilised thugs led by Auxiliary to Osun State during the election which brought a former deputy governor of Oyo state, Taofeek Arapaja, to office as the vice chairman of the party, in the South-West region.
Auxiliary was seen in a video that went viral, boasting that he would kill a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.
The same thugs had been mobilised to the Eagle Square, Abuja, the venue of the National Convention of the PDP with charms, guns and weapons.
Also last week, the thugs in their hundreds went to Lagos to receive Dr. Abdul Azeez Adediran popularly called Jandor to the PDP in what they called Lagos 4Lagos rally at Tafawa Balewa square, Lagos State. [story_link align="left"]104138[/story_link]
A source told SaharaReporters that transport union members were asked to contribute money to bribe the security agencies for the release of the hoodlums.
He said, “Attempts to bribe the soldiers failed and that was the reason they are trying to get them released to the police so that they can bribe the police to release them. I am a member of the motor park union but I hate violence. Why must we always be seen as thugs? This is a bad situation for our union.
“For some of us who joined commercial vehicle business because of the situation, it is a bad omen. I am a graduate for God sake. If people say the thugs are kidnappers, nobody can argue it. Why must 150 hoodlums travel to Ekiti because of primary election?"