Barely two days after thugs, suspected to be loyal to Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, attacked a protest called by a coalition of civil society organisations in the state, some residents of the state capital, Osogbo, were again, yesterday attacked over an alleged opposition stance against the governor.
Thursday’s attack took place at a popular news-stand, Makson Junction, opposite old Governor’s Office in Osogbo with several innocent people sustaining various degrees of injuries.
The thugs, numbering about 25, had stormed the junction in six mini-buses with arms such as guns, axes and cudgels and started chasing and beating up anyone in sight.
Sources say the attacks were perpetrated again by thugs loyal to Governor Aregbesola in his current face-off with a serving judge in the state.
Speaking on the attack, a vendor, Kazeem Madamidola, who is one of the victims, said the hoodlums accused people around the area of being anti-Aregbesola and that those gathering to read newspapers at the news-stand were said to be speaking against the governor.
“The thugs pulled down my news-stand, tore all the newspapers and started beating people up. They accused them of booing Aregbesola during the rally on Tuesday and threatened that by today, they will kill anyone who comes around here”, he said.
Reacting to the spate of attacks, the Civil Societies Coalition for Emancipation of Osun State, CSCEO, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to call Aregbesola to order, adding that the governor is trying to create an atmosphere of fear in the state.
The group also described the fresh attack by the APC thugs on innocent citizens of the state as unwarranted, sad and barbaric.
Chairman of the group, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman said: “We condemn this unprovoked attack because attacking innocent citizens of our state cannot solve the problems on ground. This is democracy and every Nigerian has the right to freedom of speech as guaranteed by the 1999 constitution.
“The whole world is aware of Aregbesola’s unpopularity in the state. His plan is to keep peoples’ mouths shut and create an atmosphere of fear so as to put us in perpetual bondage”.
Sulaiman cautioned the governor, asking him to desist from his despotic rule and face the enormous challenges before the state while calling on the state House of Assembly to intensify its probe of Aregbesola’s government.
He also called on security agencies to brace up and ensure that those “perpetrating trouble and engaging in these violence are apprehended and brought to book”.
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