The Osun State commands of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have disagreed over a claim that gunmen attacked the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, at Orisunbare area in Osogbo Monday.
The Publicity Secretary of the Aregbesola’s faction of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Abiodun Agboola, had told newsmen that Aregbesola’s convoy was attacked at Old Garage.
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He said: “It’ll interest members of the public to, as a matter of fact, note that Aregbesola had entered town from Ilesa Garage and, as usually demanded by the people on the street, came on the open roof of the car, passing through Itaolokan, Ojaba, Station Road and Orisunmbare with mammoth crowd swarming on his convoy and without any incident until the convoy was attacked at old garage where the Asiri Eniba gang attacked the convoy.”
But in a statement last night, the spokesperson of the state police command, Yemisi Opalola, said: “Conduct likely to cause breach of the public peace. Today, 14/02/2022 at about 1730 hrs, 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/MDS 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 scamper for their safety.
“Thirteen empty shells of G-3, assault, and AK-47 rifles were recovered along the road after the minister’s departure.
“No casualty however recorded. The report is still sketchy, full report will follow at the end of investigation. Meanwhile, situation is under close monitoring. Normalcy has returned.”
The spokesman of the state command of the 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.”
Reacting to the incident, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, in a statement sent to Daily Trust by his spokesman, Ismail Omipidan, said: “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 same this time around?
“Everyone within and outside the state knows that my principal, our governor, is not a trouble maker.”
