Thugs attack Ekiti APC secretariat

There was tension in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, yesterday when a gang of thugs attacked the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), smashing five vehicles.

Party members claimed that the thugs were sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government. They stormed the secretariat in three Hilux vehicles.

The unprovoked attack, which occurred at 3.30 pm, caused panic at Ajilosun/Mobil. The hoodlums destroyed APC flags and fired bullets at cars.

One of the vehicles smashed was that of the party’s Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun.

APC members at the secretariat named the thugs who carried out the attack.

Olatubosun said party members had returned from a road show to celebrate the victory of their presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, and most of them had dispersed before the thugs struck.

He said: “The thugs came in three Hilux vehicles, shooting directly at our party secretariat. They entered our premises and destroyed everything in sight.

“We do not believe that the governor will stop our celebration of Buhari’s victory because we have heard him say that there would be no celebration in Ekiti.

“It was the same killer- squad that has been wreaking havoc in the state that came to attack us at our party secretariat. Police can testify to our peaceful conduct; we did not abuse anybody, we did not attack anybody.

“They were fully armed, they came with guns, charms and machetes and the Hilux vehicles carried government number plates.”

But the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, denied the claim that the thugs were sent by Fayose.

Adelusi said: “Such allegation should be disregarded by every reasonable human being, because the governor did not send anybody and has never done such a thing in the past.”

The governor’s spokesman denied the existence of any killer-squad, saying such an allegation exists in the imagination of the opposition.

“We also appeal to the police and other arms of the security agencies to maintain law and order, protect lives and property and never allow any hoodlum to turn this state into another theatre of war.”

The Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, said he deployed a team of policemen to bring the situation under control, saying “our timely arrival scared away the miscreants”.

Lakanu said the police succeeded in flushing out the miscreants from the APC secretariat.

He denied the claim that the thugs were given security cover by some policemen.