We Are Under Siege, Ife APC, TOP Members Cry Out

 

• Over Incessant Attacks
• Send SoS To Buhari, IGP
• Say Violent Politicians On The Prowl

Our Reporter

MEMBERS of the All Progressives Congress (APC), especially those that belong to The Osun Progressives (TOP) in Ile-Ife, State of Osun, are currently living in fear over possible attacks by some people described as ‘violent politicians’, among who are government officials and ‘Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) elements’.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that some of the APC leaders in Ile-Ife have resorted to taking extra security measures, since the attack on the house of the former Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Special Needs, Comrade Biyi Odunlade, on August 14, 2021. 

Some of the APC leaders have abandoned their homes and sought shelter elsewhere at night for fear of being attacked by assailants. 

The crisis within the Osun APC has pitched Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s camp, IleriOluwa against TOP members, who are calling for restructuring and reformation of the party.

In Ile-Ife, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who joined the APC from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) earlier this year, belongs to the Oyetola camp. 

Expectedly, all the government officials in the ancient town are members of IleriOluwa.

Odunlade, former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Sikiru Ayedun and former Special Adviser to the Governor on Cooperatives, Barr. Gbenga Awosode, among others are leaders of TOP in Ile-Ife. 

There appears to be mutual suspicion between members of the two groups.

However, Odunlade is the first victim of the political crisis in Ile-Ife, following the attack on his house and destruction of his property on the same day the APC members were attacked at the party State Secretariat, Osogbo, during the sitting of the Ward Congress Appeal Committee. 

Ever since, OSUN DEFENDER learnt, the TOP leaders had been taking precautionary measures to prevent being attacked.

But the attack on members of the APC in Ife East Local Government during their meeting on Sunday, September 12, 2021 has heightened the fear of TOP members.

 The APC members who belong to TOP were  attacked around 5pm at St. John’s Grammar School, Oke Atan, Ilode Area, Ile-Ife, the venue of the meeting.

According to eye witnesses, the thugs, who were about 20, stormed the venue of the meeting with a wine colour space wagon, driven by a former youth leader of the party, while others rode on motorcycles. 

Sighting the hoodlums, the APC members fled, but some of them were unlucky, as they were beaten blue-black with clubs and canes. 

About 15 people sustained injuries in the attack that lasted for about 30 minutes, according to the victims. 

Some of the victims of the attack are: Alhaji Muritala Lawal, Anthony Adeyemo, Hon. Oyewole Rafiu, Kunle Oguntoke, Iyabo Olufisayo,  Ademola Adegoke, Awosemo Kehinde, Ayinla Serifat

One of the victims, Mr. Sikiru Owojori, said: “We were having APC meeting at Ife East Local Government on Sunday evening at St John’s Grammar School, Oke Atan, Ile-Ife.  

“We moved to that location after we had a parallel congress of the party to avoid confrontation. We started our meeting as usual and around 5:00pm, some members of IleriOluwa group came and before we knew what was happening, some hoodlums arrived and started beating us and in the process, injured many of us.

“Our leaders told us not to confront them and we started running for our dear lives, but as we were trying to get out of the venue, we discovered that the thugs had already locked the gate of the school.

“I and some other people hid at the back of a classroom and these thugs came to meet us there. They attacked us with intention to kill. The thugs injured me, but thank God that I later escaped and went to the Police station to report.

“Only God saved us because they were willing to kill us that day.  Tony Adeyemo, Hon. Wole and an elderly man, Muritala Lawal were seriously injured. Our people are still in the hospital receiving treatment as I am talking to you.

“Those who came to attack us are from Okere Ward 2; that is Hon. Tajudeen Lawal’s ward. I recognised them very well. They are Tajudeen Lawal’s boys. I think they attacked us because of the large turnout of the people at the meeting.” 

Reacting to the attack, Odunlade said it is unfortunate that violence had crept into the progressives’ fold and some PDP elements who joined APC had been attacking the progressives with impunity.

Odunlade said: “The attack on APC members, particularly those loyal to Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, is just a confirmation of the fear expressed by vigilant leaders of the party that the PDP elements joining the party will no doubt bastardise the progressives’ system.  

“APC had been a peaceful political party throughout the tenure of Aregbesola, but with the intrusion of some violent politicians and some never-do-well opportunists, violence crept into the party and we are now subject of attack.

“If you recollect, TOP had raised the alarm that  some ‘government and party elements’ have resorted to be attacking leaders of the group. A week after we made that report, my house was attacked. The assailants thought I was at home; they might have killed me. The attack happened same day the IleriOluwa thugs attacked APC members at the party Secretariat in Osogbo. 

“The people that attacked my house were with the violent politician we have in Ile-Ife at a party on that day. We have facts to that effect and the Police are already investigating that. The same set of people was the one that attacked me in 2011 on the instruction of the same violent politician in Ile-Ife when he was in PDP. 

“I can say it with all confirmation that we never had that violent experience in our party until those people came to join us. Some of them believe that they have to use politics to survive and in the process, they became desperate. 

“Our fear in Ife now is that nest of destroyers and killers have penetrated the APC and they should be held responsible for anything that happens to anyone of us. Members of TOP in Ile-Ife now are sleeping with one eye closed, the other opened.

“These violent people are trailing us everywhere. I am calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police, to please come to our aid in Ile-Ife, because these people are ready to kill and destroy.”

In his reaction, the former Commissioner for Home Affairs and Tourism, Alh. Sikiru Ayedun, condemned the attack on the APC and the violent path being towed by the APC government officials in Ile-Ife.

He said: “It so disappointing that our party members can be attacked at a peaceful meeting. This is not a good development. We have never had this kind of experience in the progressives until recently that some PDP elements joined us. I frown at the attack and I am calling all the security agencies to ensure that all the culprits are brought to book. 

“The party had received some elements that do not have respect for the party structure where they were coming from. They have brought the ideal that were not part of the progressives into the party and that is what we are witnessing now.”

Another leader of the party who prayed not to be named said: “To say these people are violent is an understatement. We know ourselves in Ife and we know the politician that believes the only way he could get what he wants is violence. Go and trace his history, it is violence always. Unfortunately, he is part of us now and some opportunists among us have run to him and they are now speaking violence too. 

“We in the TOP are afraid. We are living in fear. We cannot walk freely and we have to be changing house every night. We never know when and who this people will come for. The Police and APC leaders should try to caution this violent politician.”

A community trader at Lagere, Mrs. Omolola Oyeleke, cautioned politicians against violence, saying that traders in the commercial hub of Ife had been enjoying peace for the past 10 years. 

Oyeleke said: “I want to appeal to our politicians to shun violence. I am not a politician, but I appreciate the fact that there has been peace for the past 10 years. We don’t want to go back to those days that we would be hurriedly closing our shops because of political violence.

“We know of the politician in this Ife that enjoys violence. My fear is that, with the way this politician is being hyped by the Governor, he might resort to using violence to prove a point and that will automatically affect our businesses. We cannot open our shops when there is political violence, because the hoodlums they use have always been looting our shops. 

“I want to appeal to the State Government to provide special security for us in this market, so that when the politicians begin their madness, we will have some people to protect us.”