Hoodlums attack AD supporters in Ondo

Two members of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Ondo state, have been attacked by suspected hoodlums in Owo, headquarters of Owo local government area of the state.

The victims: Sunday Akadiri and Adeniran Adeyemi, were attacked at different locations while pasting posters and handbills of the AD governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, in the town.

They accused members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the attack.

Speaking on his hospital bed at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where he has been admitted, Akadiri said the hoodlums took him to a residence where he received the beating of his life.

“My leader, Hon. Babatolu, gave me some posters of AD to paste. While I was pasting the posters at Isokunodo Street, Mobil Area, some people in two buses branded in APC colours came.

“They disembarked, moved towards me and started hitting me with machetes. When I fainted and they thought I had given up the ghost, they took me to a burial ground and dumped me there, where an Okada rider saw me and took me to the hospital.

“My attackers collected N150, 000 and an Infinix Hot 2 phone from me. It was my elder brother who gave me the money to give to those working at his site,” he claimed.

Akadiri, who identified some of the hoodlums, said they had warned him earlier to desist supporting a particular candidate.

Also speaking, another victim, Adeniran, explained that he was attacked after all entreaties towards luring him to APC camp failed and  was stabbed in the head and shoulder.

His words: “I was formerly member of PDP. I recently defected to AD with my friend and leader, Obanoyen Kaseem. But this did not go down well with some people.

“They stabbed me, because I didn’t support a particular candidate. Don’t I have the right to support anybody I like.? I have reported the matter at the police station, Ijebu-Owo,”

Condemning the attack, the Media aide to the AD candidate, Rotimi Ogunleye, frowned at the attacks on AD members, describing the situation as bad for democracy.

He called on security agencies in the state to ensure security of lives and properties  before, during and after the election, while he stressed the need to re- orientate the electorates politicians and their supporters to play the game by the rules.

The APC publicity secretary in the state, Abayomi Adesanya, who also condemned the attack, said those behind the attack could not be members of APC in the state.

He explained that the party had educated its supporters on the need to play the game by the rules as the party remained a party to beat in the state.

He however called on the security agents to fish out the perpetrators to serve as deterrent to other hoodlums who have been using political platforms to perpetrate criminal acts.