Accord supporters in Oyo State. Photo: Ademola Adegbite
The Oyo State Police Command has confirmed the attack on hundreds of loyalists and supporters of the Accord Party governorship candidate in the state, Oriyomi Hamzat, by suspected hoodlums in Molete, Ibadan South-West Local Government Area.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation with PUNCH Online on Wednesday.
He said, “I am aware of the attacks. The loyalists of Hamzat were ambushed during a peaceful procession at Molete end of the ancient city.”
It was gathered that Hamzat, a radio presenter and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Agidigbo 88.7 FM, Ibadan, and his supporters were pelted with stones by unidentified suspected hoodlums in Molete, Ibadan.
According to eyewitnesses, the intervention of security personnel and Hamzat’s efforts to calm his supporters prevented them from engaging the hoodlums in a reprisal attack.
They explained that the peaceful procession was organised to welcome Hamzat back to Nigeria from the United Kingdom late on Tuesday night.
One of the eyewitnesses, who did not want her name in print, told The PUNCH in Ibadan on Wednesday that, “The aggrieved supporters insisted that no amount of intimidation from any person or group of persons would stop them from supporting their preferred candidate.”
Another eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Kola, said, “This is democracy. You have the right to support any candidate of your choice. We ought to have outgrown this kind of politics of bitterness and thuggery in Oyo.”
Kehinde Olaiya said, “Some of our members were injured during this unprovoked attack. Also, some of the vehicles in our convoy were vandalised.”
He added, “Hamzat is a man of peace. We have left the place. The peaceful procession at the Ibadan Toll Gate end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would be terminated at the headquarters of Agidigbo FM along the Ojoo-Iwo Road Expressway.”