Osogbo—Two days after hoodlums suspected to be sympathetic to the All Progressives Congress, APC allegedly unleashed terror on anti-Aregbesola’s protesters in Osogbo, some residents of the state capital were again yesterday attacked over an alleged opposition stance against the governor.
The fresh attack took place at a popular news-stand, Makson Junction, opposite old Governor’s Office in Osogbo with several innocent people sustaining various degrees of injuries.
The thugs numbering about 25 stormed the place in six mini-buses and with all kinds of arms such as guns, axes and cudgels started chasing and beating up anyone at sight.
The attacks were linked to those sympathetic to Governor Rauf Aregbesola in the game of wits between the government and a serving judge,
When contacted, APC director of Publicity and Strategy, Mr Kunle Oyatomi said the party has decided not to comment on the issue.
Also, Aregbesola’s Director of media and publicity, Mr Semiu Okanlawon refused to pick several calls put across to him for his comment. He also refused to reply the text message.
According to one of the victims of yesterday’s attack, a vendor, Mr Kazeem Madamidola, the hoodlums accused people around the area of being anti-Aregbesola and that those gathering to read newspapers at the news-stand were said to be speaking against the governor.
“The thugs pulled down my news-stand, tore all the newspapers and started beating people up. They accused them of booing Aregbesola during the rally on Tuesday and threatened that by today, they will kill anyone who comes around here”, he said.
Meantime, the Civil Societies Coalition for Emancipation of Osun State, CSCEO, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call Aregbesola to order, saying the governor’s plan was to create an atmosphere of fear in the state.
The group condemned the fresh attack by the APC thugs on innocent citizens of the state as unwarranted, sad and barbaric.
The group’s Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman stated, “We condemn this unprovoked attack because attacking innocent citizens of our state cannot solve the problems on ground. This is democracy and every Nigerian has the right to freedom of speech as guaranteed by the 1999 constitution.
“The whole world is aware of Aregbesola’s unpopularity in the state. His plan is to keep peoples’ mouths shut and create an atmosphere of fear so as to put us in perpetual bondage.
He warned Aregbesola to desist from his despotic rule and face the enormous challenges before the state while calling on the state House of Assembly to intensify its probe of Aregbesola’s government.
Sulaiman called on security agencies to brace up and ensure that those “perpetrating trouble and engaging in these violence are apprehended and brought to book”.
