The embattled Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, has accused the state Governor, Ayodele Fayose, of instigating the police to arrest his aides.
Among the aides allegedly arrested were Tope Falebita, Olalere Tunde and Bayode Kamoru.
They were accused of removing President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign posters in Aisegba-Ekiti, Omirin’s home town.
They are being held in the police custody at the headquarters in Ado-Ekiti.
Omirin alleged that the crackdown on his supporters was a direct fulfilment of Fayose’s threat to make life difficult for him in the state.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Wole Olujobi, Omirin said the crackdown followed recent foiled attack on him in Ado-Ekiti, saying the dragnet is being extended to seize his aides and political associates.
His words: “The security agents were in the home of Chief Dapo Awojolu, a 72-year-old political leader and my associate over alleged arson in 2013 whereas there was nothing like violence in Egbe-Ekiti home of the man in 2013. How is it possible for that peaceful old man to get himself in burning a house in the community where he is prominent leader and a High Chief?
“This is just a continuation of assault and intimidation of my associates following similar threats to some lawmakers when some unidentified policemen visited their homes in the night banging on their doors.”
Omirin said two weeks after, policemen in the thick of the night visited the homes of Hon. Tope Agidi and Hon. Folorunso Ogundele, with invitation letters for “interaction” with the police.
The statement added: “Upon investigation at the police headquarters, it was discovered that the police authorities did not issue any invitation letter for interaction.”
The Speaker said had the lawmakers fallen into the trap, the state would have fallen into a serious crisis.
Omirin added that the attacks on the members of the All Progressives Congress had been extended to another member of the House of Assembly, Hon. Olajide Olaniyi, who was attacked in his Otun-Ekiti home country.
According to the Speaker, Olaniyi’s car was smashed and the windscreen of his car broken.
The Speaker called the attention of the police to his earlier alarm that members of the House of Assembly had been marked for street attacks, damaging their vehicles in the process, including snatching the vehicles and blaming it on armed robbery.
Omirin urged the police to show even-handedness in resolving Ekiti State crisis.
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