Suspected political thugs beat Osun commissioner

Suspected political thugs have reportedly attacked the Osun State Commissioner for Regional Integration, Bola Ilori in Ondo State.

According to a report by The Punch, Ilori was beaten by the thugs at the zonal meeting of the All Progressives Congress Committee on Restructuring, at the International Event Centre, Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Thursday, September 21, 2017.

It was reported that Ilori, who was one of the representatives of Osun State at the forum, was assaulted when he left the hall to grant a press interview at the entrance.

The report quoted a source as saying, “The thugs swooped on the commissioner and started beating him. They tore his dress and underwear in the process. He attempted to run away but the thugs would not let him as they held unto him. After stripping the commissioner almost half-naked, they left him with a warning that he should not join the meeting or any programme of the APC again. In fact, it was one of his sympathisers that offered him a shirt to wear.”

The incident reportedly infuriated the delegates from Osun State who disrupted the programme but were later calmed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Segun Ajiboye, and some security agents.

Ilori alleged that the thugs were sent to attack him by the Secretary to the Ondo State Government, Sunday Abegunde, for unknown reason.

“We came here in the interest of the nation, the party calls for opinion of the people on restructuring we have done our presentation and there was no problem, only for the thugs of Abegunde, the SSG to come and harass me.

“If I have come here today alone, it would have been another thing. It is the SSG, Sunday Abegunde, that sent them,” Ilori alleged.

The state Commissioner for Information, Yemi Olowolabi denied Ilori's claim saying the Osun Commissioner came to the venue with the intent of causing trouble.

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Olowolabi said, “The Osun people came here with thugs, they came with charms and dangerous weapons. Why were people from Ekiti not attacked? It was very clear that they were here to cause trouble.

“We are peace-loving people in Ondo State, many people have spoken before him, there was no problem, he was not the one to speak for Osun State but tactically took over the microphone and spoke. After the incident, he even thanked his ‘army’ that they proved that they can defend themselves. This is very sad.”