Six federal lawmakers on Thursday escaped unhurt at Wasimi Market Square, Ewekoro Local Government Area, Ogun State, following a bloody clash between factions of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
A senator representing Ogun Central at the National Assembly, Gbenga Obadara, was billed to hold a meeting with party members at the market square when they were attacked by gun-wielding thugs.
Eight people were reportedly shot including Sunday Akinbode, a police sergeant attached to Mr. Obadara, who was shot in a region close to his private part; Lasisi Bayo; Dapo Soyinka; and Femi Babalola.
All the victims were rushed to Mercy Hospital in Abeokuta where they are currently receiving treatment.
Those at the scene included two senators – Akin Odunsi and Gbenga Obadara; four members of the House of Representatives – Olumide Osoba, Adekunle Adeyemi, Bukola Braimo, and Segun Williams; as well as journalists covering the event.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the incident, Mr. Obadara alleged that the state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, was responsible for the attack on him and his supporters.
“I wanted to have a senatorial meeting to sensitise our members on the coming registration exercise at the centre I built for the community in Wasimi. We have already applied and the copies of the letters are with me,” he explained. “But, when I got to the venue, the Chairman of Ewekoro local government , Dele Soluade, said he wanted to use the place and I left for another place and his thugs still came to attack us.”
Mr. Obadara claimed that Mr. Soluade has said that the order “to deal with the senator” was from above.
“He pointed a gun at me that he will kill me. If not for God’s grace, I would have been a dead man by now. My orderly was shot and several other people including journalists,” he said.
A member of the House of Representatives, Adekunle Adeyemi, who also escaped death accused the police in the state of complicity.
“We were to have senatorial meeting with Senator Obadara when I discovered that there were thugs sent after us by Governor Ibikunle Amosun and they started shooting I managed to escape. They came with guns, cutlasses,” Mr. Adeyemi said.
However, the Chairman of Ewekoro Local Government, where the incident happened, Mr. Soluade, has denied knowledge of the attack, saying that he was in Lagos.
He told PREMIUM TIMES via phone that he had received a call that his local government was in flames. He denied that the Senator had written his office to inform it of the meeting.
“I am not aware that there was going to be any programme. I was told that one of my people in the community was shot; I cannot confirm his name. I am in Lagos. I am coming down now to confirm. He is not my boy; he is one of my community people there. Even as the chairman of the local government there, I was not aware that anybody was coming there. Even when I heard it, I had to call one of my Police that, what is happening there, no invitation, no information,” Mr. Soluade said.
A notable chieftain of the party and serving senator, Adegbenga Kaka, in his reaction, called on the Federal Government and the police high command to investigate the attack.
The State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has also condemned the attack and denied any involvement in it.
Sources: Sahsrs reporter
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