“From today, any other political rally or meeting organised in any place, in any manner, without informing the police, any aftermath of that, the organiser will also have himself to blame no matter how highly placed. The Oyo State Police Command hereby declares a total war against criminals in the state, either political thugs or any other miscreants. To this, I mean whoever procures, sponsors any items of violence for the purpose or criminal motive of unleashing mayhem, causing instability or threat to life in any part of Oyo State will have himself to blame”, he said.
The Oyo State police command has arrested eight suspects in connection with the mayhem that occured in the state. According to the Commissioner of police in the state, Mohammed Katsina, the names of the suspects are Afeez Ishola, Olamide Ijaola, Sikiru Tunayese, Sunday Balogun, Lekan Ogeroju, Kazeem Ajibola, Kehinde Emiola and Musibau Akinola.
While parading the suspects, the CP said: “Since some of our politicians have continuously remained adamant to my entreaties to avoid violence and play the game according to the dictates of law, we are also going to show them that the law is greater than anybody. And since some of them have decided to dance naked in the political arena, I will like to warn or assure them that I have the capability, capacity and wherewithal to keep them away from the public view. What I mean in essence is that the full weight of the law will be applied on them.
“From today, any other political rally or meeting organised in any place, in any manner, without informing the police, any aftermath of that, the organiser will also have himself to blame no matter how highly placed. The Oyo State Police Command hereby declares a total war against criminals in the state, either political thugs or any other miscreants. To this, I mean whoever procures, sponsors any items of violence for the purpose or criminal motive of unleashing mayhem, causing instability or threat to life in any part of Oyo State will have himself to blame”, he said.
Mild drama at police headquarters
At the police headquarters, everybody was spell bound when one of the suspects was calling one of the organizers of the rally, who is a candidate of the Accord Party, saying ‘when will you use your influence to free me from the police.’
The politician answered him saying he would soon be released that he should keep calm.
As the police were parading the suspects, a notorious one among the suspects, who had many wounds kept shouting on top of his voice, “Sunday, show the police the gun you used to kill them you know I am innocent.”
Another one, Kazeem Ajibola who said he was arrested at the hospital where he visited his relative said his arrest was a set up, adding that he never participated in any shooting.
“I am a plank seller. I am not a political thug. The arrest was a mistake on the part of the police,” he said. Talking to the police, he said, since you have been doing this policing job, you ought to tell, by mere looks, who criminals are. Do I look like a criminal?’’
The police need to be extra vigilant to check the excesses of most supporters of the politicians in the state to ensure peaceful polls.
APC defends Governor Ajimobi
Responding to the allegation, the APC came in defence of its governorship candidate, Ajimobi noting that there is a gang-up among the opposition parties in the state, especially Accord, Labour and the PDP to instigate violence and use such isolated cases to puncture the three and half years of peace that it had brought to the state.
The broom party, through its State Director of Publicity, Mr. Olawale Sadare, said having identified that the battle in the next governorship election would be between a government that has stood for peace and safety of lives and property, as against regimes in the past where there were political murders, arson, violence and brigandage, and whose major actors are seeking to come back to office, the opposition parties are struggling to paint the APC “as a violent party too.”
It described the recent violence as a gang war between an Accord’s chief thug and some factions in that locality and has nothing to do with the APC.
“If our people don’t know anything about Ajimobi, they know he can’t stand violence. He ordered a Pilgrims Board member sacked and charged to court for being violent. That violent man is with Akala now. He outlaws thugs and Indian hemp at Governor’s Office. He is one governor who does not go about with thugs. Let them tell us their own antecedents. Luckily, the world knows the truth,” said the APC.