February 15, (THEWILL) – The Osun Police Command has denied reports that the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, was attacked and shot at by hoodlums in Osogbo.
The Command in a statement issued on Monday by its Spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola, said it was some of the minister’s escorts who shot into the air without provocation, causing people to scramble for safety.
“Today, Monday, at about 5.40pm, the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola was moving in convoy of personnel of NSCDC, Correctional Service, Immigration, as well as some unidentified armed people, suspected to be political thugs along Orisumbare/MFS Road, Osogbo.
“Suddenly, some of the security escorts of the minister started shooting sporadically into the air without any provocation nor attack, thereby causing members of the public to scramble for their safety.
“Thirteen empty shells of G-3, assault and AK-37 rifles were recovered along the road after the minister’s departure. No casualty, however, was recorded”, said Opalola.
She, however, said that the report of the incident was still sketchy, adding that a full report would be made available at the end of investigation.
According to her, the situation is under close monitoring and normalcy has returned.
The Publicity Secretary of a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Abiodun Agboola, had in a statement alleged that Aregbesola’s convoy was attacked by some armed political thugs at Orisunmibare, Osogbo, while coming from Ilesa.
“Today’s attempt on the life of the minister is a confirmation that Osun is no longer a safe state. We can only pray that the Almighty will keep the good people of Osun and her well wishers safe”, Agboola said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the Osun Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Atanda Olabisi, said: “Unknown hoodlums attacked the convoy of the former governor of Osun State and Minister, Federal Ministry of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, today (Monday) at about 1840hrs around Old Garage area in Osogbo, the state capital.
“However, the security details of the minister were able to disperse the hoodlums and bring normalcy to the area.”
Meanwhile, Osun State governor, Gboyega Oyetola, in a statement by his spokesman, Ismail Omipidan, refuted the claim of any attack on Aregbesola’s convoy.
“Nobody attacked Aregbesola. It was the armed security personnel attached to him that were shooting innocent citizens.
“From some of the videos I’ve watched and carefully analysed, I did not see anywhere where he was attacked. They’re just lying.
“Besides, as a federal minister, courtesy demands that his ministry should at least inform us formally of his visit.
“That too did not happen. But that last time he came, he wrote, and necessary courtesies were extended to him. Why didn’t he do the same this time around?
“Everyone within and outside the state knows that my principal, our governor, is not a troublemaker”, he said.
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