Police Begin Manhunt For Aregbesola’s Nephew’s Assailants

By Ismaeel Uthman
The Police authority in the State of Osun has begun investigations into the attack on Mr. Olateju Ishola, a nephew to Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Ishola was attacked around 9:30pm on Sunday, March 28, 2021 by armed thugs at Firewood Restaurant, Oroki Estate Osogbo, State of Osun, where he was invited to celebrate the birthday get-together of the lawmaker representing Osogbo State Constituency at the House of Assembly, Hon. Taofeek Badmus.

He was attacked alongside his friends, Hon. Wale Omolola, Kehinde Aresa and his Personal Assistant, Dare Ogundotun.
Ishola sustained various degrees of injuries in the attack, which he called a failed attempt on his life.

However, OSUN DEFENDER gathered yesterday that the Police, upon official report to them, have commenced investigation into the matter and might have been inviting people for questioning.

Police sources informed the medium that the Criminal Investigations Department has commissioned a team to investigate the attacks, as directed by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Wale Olokode.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Ishola maintained that the attack on him was political and premeditated, calling on security agencies to fish out everybody involved in the criminal act.

The 40-year-old man described as an act of cowardice the denial by Hon. Taofeek Badmus that he was not attacked, saying the lawmaker was punched and harassed by the hoodlums.

He said: “From what I observed, the attack is premeditated and political. It was an unprovoked attack, and it was an attempt on my life. I thank God that I survived it.

“I was invited by Hon Taofeek Badmus to celebrate his birthday at Firewood Restaurant, Oroki Estate, Osogbo. I went there with four men in my company, namely: Kehinde Adeniyi (Aresa), Rasheed Ropo (Triple R), Wale Omolola and my Personal Assistant, Dare Ogundotun.

“Upon arrival at the event venue, activities commenced normally. There were dancing and drinking sprees, characteristic of such events. As a matter of fact, there was no political discourse at all that could premeditate that danger of any sort was lurking. We were dancing to the melody and celebrating the man.

“With us at the party were Hon. Festus Komolafe, a.k.a. BFK, Honourable Babatunde Desmond Ojo from Oriade State Constituency and the lawmaker from Olaoluwa State Constituency, Ms Nike Famodun, among others. Nothing at all could have suggested the inhuman treatment I later got at that place that night.

“There was no any ill-feeling. It was Hon. Desmond that was directing the musician on which song to sing. I did not tell the musician anything, nor oppose any of the lyrics or praises of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola. Why would I even do that? I had been at different parties with PDP members without any ill-feelings on the political songs of the musician, either against or for me.

“The people spreading the misinformation that I objected to Oyetola’s praise songs at the party are telling outright falsehood. I suspect they were all aware of the planned attack, hence the need to quickly come out with cover-up story. And I call on the security agents to investigate their claims and involvement in the attack.

“The first premonition of danger came when my Personal Assistant came to whisper into my ears that I was not safe in the place and that we should start finding our ways out. My response was instant; I took style to dance out of the stage and got out to the spacious premises.

“Few minutes later, I stepped out to discuss with an aide to the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Joseph Akanbi. We were right outside with a woman, a quantity surveyor. Then, I saw a bus that parked at a close distance. There were two mobile policemen in the bus. There and then, I sensed trouble. So, I excused the people I was discussing with. I smelt danger but I wasn’t coming to terms with the fact that the attack could be meant for me.

“I went back inside the restaurant to inform Aresa of what I saw outside. I was backing the entrance. Suddenly, one of the guys who alighted from the parked bus rushed at me and started shouting: ‘Ohun niyen”, this is Teju and so on. Then the blows, the cuts, the bruises and all the rest began and so it continued.

“Alhaji Simple, an elder brother to Senator Ajibola Basiru was also on hand. His response was that of reprimand, saying, ‘What is wrong with you guys, are you out of your senses?’ I think he might have known one or two of the thugs that attacked me. The assailants responded by attacking him with a sharp object. That was how he sustained injuries.

“Hon. Taofeek Badmus was also attacked. He was punched and harassed. He later hid under the table of a man selling suya at the place.

“I managed to escape from the restaurant and was running towards Jerry Paul filling station. The hoodlums were running after me. They shot at me several times. They were shouting ‘don’t kill him here, let us catch him and take him to another place’.

“I heard my P.A., Dare screaming. I thought he had been severely injured. I had to navigate my way back to the restaurant to rescue him because I thought I had diverted the attention of the thugs. Unfortunately, I ran into their midst. They held me and started unleashing machete cuts on me.

“Luckily for me, a bouncer at the restaurant punched two of the hoodlums holding me and some of them went for him. That was how I was able to escape from them.

“The guy who led the attack was a known notorious hoodlum who he and his gang members have been enjoying executive protection in the state.

“Few minutes later, I came back to the scene in search of my PA and phones. I saw the ‘ring leader of the thugs’, a known person to me, too. He turned back immediately he saw me. It was during that time that Hon. Taofeek Badmus called one of the people around and asked him to tell me to come to UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital. I insisted I was not going. I thought he was also there for treatment.

“Let me state here that it is unfortunate and an act of cowardice for Hon. Badmus to have denied there was an attack on him, a move to underplay the assassination attempt on me.

“During later efforts to recover the phones, we called the line in one of the phones; a guy picked it and said he was at Old Garage. He demanded for N10, 000 before releasing the phones. He sent an account number with First Bank. The guy is also a known notorious miscreant in Osogbo.”