Prof.Mahmoud Yakubu
Ahead of today’s governorship election in Ondo State, political thugs on Thursday attacked the homes of some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Owo town.
The thugs, suspected to be working for a prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in the town, were alleged to have killed a chieftain of the APC, Mr Afolabi Olaposi, popularly called Arogun, destroyed vehicles in the compound of a governorship aspirant of the party, Chief Jamiu Ekungba, and burnt three houses in Ehinogbe quarters.
Owo is the hometown of the governorship candidate of the APC, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN.
Supporters of a faction of the PDP were said to have organised a rally in Owo town during which they unleashed terror on APC supporters in the community.
The APC, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, said Olaposi was shot dead on his way home after a meeting held by the party.
The deceased, who hailed from Igboroko Ward 1 in Owo Local Government Area of the state, was said to be an ardent supporter of Akeredolu.
It was alleged that the hoodlums also invaded the house of Chief Jamiu Ekungba, Board of Trustees (BOT) member of APC and participant in the September 3 primary election of the APC in the state.
His house was said to have been vandalised and seven vehicles destroyed after a failed bid to burn his house.
Ekungba was said not to be at home during the attack.
“We believe that those calling for the postponement of the election were behind this dastardly act. We call on security agents to fish out those behind the killing and bring them to book,” Adesanya added.
A resident of Owo, who pleaded anonymity, said “they stormed Arogun’s house, shot him and also destroyed his property.
“They did not stop there, they went to the house of Chief Ekungba and destroyed all the vehicles parked in the compound.
“We are now scared in Owo. They do not want people to come out and vote on election day.
“We are calling on security agencies to come to our rescue.”
In a swift reaction to the allegations yesterday, the Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP in Ondo State, Mr. Ayo Fadaka, denied any involvement of the party’s supporters in the attacks on APC members in Owo.
He also condemned the crisis that rocked the town, saying that crisis does no good to any community.
He said he was aware that his party’s supporters organised a rally in Owo on Thursday but added that no one had any fact to the effect that the same supporters were responsible for the crisis.
On his part, the Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Police Force, Mr Femi Johnson, said the police would not fold its arms and watch hooligans to thrive before, during or after the election.
Johnson warned the politicians in the state to call their supporters to order, saying that security agencies were ready to deal ruthlessly with anyone found trying to truncate the peaceful atmosphere in the state.
