The lawmaker representing Ekiti Central senatorial district of Ekiti state, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele has alleged hoodlums of attacking his campaign train in Ikoro-Ekiti, Ijero Local Government Area of the state.
Bamidele explained that the hoodlums disguised as commercial motorcyclists stopped his convoy and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the senatorial district after a political event and opened fire on the team.
According to him, the bullet hit a 16-year-old girl in the community.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, who spoke during a visit to the recuperating girl at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti (FETHI) on Wednesday said that the gun-wielding political thugs, rebuffed all entreaties to vacate the barricaded road but added that, they began shooting in the air.
According to him, it was one of their stray bullets that hit the hapless girl who was at a distance from the scene and was not even part of the campaign train.
He however called on the security agencies to immediately commence investigation on the alleged dastardly act and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The senator promised to foot the medical bills of the young girl, urging the management of FETHI to ensure adequate medical care for her.
Bamidele said, “She is a sixteen year old girl, which calls for empathy on the path of every one of us, even if we were not candidate or even if we were not
in Ikoro-Ekiti.
“Am here with all the candidates of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti Central. There are 8 of us contesting elections to the state house of assembly, two into the house of representatives and myself for the senatorial seat to the senate.
“We came because we decided to suspend our campaign to come an pay a visit to an innocent girl, who we understood was hit by a stray
bullet two days ago.
“It was on our way out of the venue of the meeting in Ikoro-Ekiti, we saw a group, obviously some hoodlums, who pretended to be Okada riders and were blocking the roads. We taught it was the usual, we came down and talk to them.
“These so-called Okada riders, a good number of them were holding guns, which was very obvious to everybody and it became obvious that they were on a mission. Their mission is now for security agencies to unravel their mission.”
On his part, the Chief Medical Director of FETHI, Professor Kunle Ajayi commended the senator for the visit, adding that the patient was in good condition and recuperating well.
