Ekiti APC petitions IGP, others again over attack of members

The All Prog‎ressives Congress in Ekiti State has again petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba. over attacks on its members in Erijiyan Ekiti by thugs allegedly loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party on the eve of the presidential election held last weekend.

In a petition signed by the State Secretary of the party, Paul Omotoso, and copied to the National Human Rights Commission, thew Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 8 in Lokoja, the state Commissioner of Police and state Director of the Department of State Services, the APC complained that PDP’s thugs, allegedly led by the party’s Ekiti West candidate for the House of Assembly election, Segun Adewumi, and his brother, Boluwaji Adewumi, attacked APC members and their property on the eve of the presidential election.

Omotosho wrote in the petition: “On Friday March 27, 2015, about 9.00pm on the eve of the presidential and National Assembly elections, one Chief Boluwaji held a meeting with a group of young men numbering about 15 at his house at Okele/Aaye Street, Erinjiyan-Ekiti.

“We later discovered that many of the men who held the meeting with Chief Adewumi were thugs as their mission and the result of the meeting was later clear when they struck later in the night.”

Omotosho said the thugs, for more than two hours, moved from house to house attacking APC leaders and members ‎with guns, cutlasses and charms.

He added that an indigene working ‎with a para-military outfit made a distress call to the police who arrived the scene to save the people from further harm.

According to Omotoso, two houses belonging to the APC state Chairman, Jide Awe, were attacked and looted.

His brother was driven ‎to the bush that night after his house was also attacked and looted.

Eight others were attacked and their houses looted.

Attached to the petition were photographs of the injured victims.

Also attached were pictures of houses and vehicles destroyed by the attackers.

Alleging that Segun Adewumi was one of the attackers of a leader of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Samson Adeleke, at Ikogosi-Ekiti in the January attack on students leaders, Omotoso also listed Bolu Adewumi, Segun Adewumi, Samson Alade, Mutiu Oyo and Rotimi Bakare as the alleged attackers identified by APC victims.

Others were Kabiru Odetola,‎Tope Oluwadare, Laja Omo Olori Are Igbehin, Dare Edo, Ojo Ogosu, Deji Ogosu, Dennis Urhobo, Omo Fariga, Omo Tope Ibiye, Femi Olaberinjo and Emma Ikogosi (aka Erujeje).

Others included Alhaji Urhobo, Olajide Aworinde, Festus Alade, Adewumi Adebisi and one Ayorinde.

Omotosho alleged that Emma was one ‎of the thugs arrested in the Igbemo-Ekiti attack on a APC ward meeting.

According to him, the suspect made a statement on the Igbemo-Ekiti attack at the police headquarters in February 2015 but was soon released to allegedly participate in the Erinjiyan-Ekiti attack.