2023 LG Poll: Three APC Chieftains, Others Escape Alleged Assassination Attempt in Ekiti

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

No fewer than four persons, including a businessman, Chief Bode Olayinka, were wounded with property and goods worth millions of naira destroyed when a group of political thugs allegedly led by one Gbenga Oluwafemi, popularly known as Owolesu, who is currently in custody of the Ekiti State Police Command, allegedly attacked some chieftains of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Efon Local Government Area of the state.

The attack was not unconnected with an alleged attempt by a group allegedly loyal to one of the rival leaders in the local government area to silence other aspirants and impose his preferred candidates ahead of the local government election coming up in December this year.

Narrating his ordeals to journalists at the premises of Ekiti State Police Command in Ado Ekiti, one of the victims of the attack (with plaster on his forehead),. 

Mr. Olaitan Olayinka, explained that the assailants numbering about 20 allegedly attacked them with cutlasses, Dane gun, and other dangerous weapons in front of their family house while relaxing last Monday evening.

“My name is Olaitan Olayinka, a younger brother to Chief Bode Olayinka. I am an event planner staying in Efon after my retirement as a civil servant.

“I’m interested in contesting for the chairmanship of my local government area, which in Efon.

“There is a group of political thugs led by one Gbenga Oluwafemi called G9. The group was created by Karounwi, and he has been using them to get whatever he wants either by force or other means.

“And this time around, they are saying they don’t want any other aspirant to contest against Hon. Karounwi Oladapo’s preferred candidate, who happens to be his personal driver, one Niyi Babalola, but I have maintained my ground that I will contest and win because there is freedom of association and that anyone who emerges during the primary election will be supported by all.

“But, on July 31, 2023, during a masquerade event in Efon, the thugs had wanted to forcefully remove a cap I did as part of my political awareness strategies ahead of the poll from one of my supporters, Mr. Boboye Olamilekan, and when he refused to surrender it, they descended on him, beat and tore his clothes.

“Immediately the boy came to report to me, I begged him that I don’t want to fight with anybody since election is still far ahead. So I put a call across to Chief Jeje who happens to be one of the APC stalwarts in Efon to inform him about the development.

“Chief Jeje later called back to inform me that he had warned the leader of the group, Oluwafemi (Owolesu) to henceforth stop the nonsense he was doing.

“I thought everything was settled, but around 8 p.m., my brother, Chief Bode Olayinka; my sister, Mrs. Jumoke Oladaiye, and others, were sitting in front of our family house when we saw the group led by Gbenga Oluwafemi again moving round the streets, and came to us that everybody should leave the place. Oluwafemi said he had been instructed to kill Chief Bode Olayinka and destroy the entire place. We were just looking at him in amazement,” he stated.

Olayinka added: “One boy then questioned his authority to give such order, insisting that he bought the drinks and that he cannot just ask him to leave because he came there to enjoy himself.

“Oluwafemi (Owolesu) immediately took a bottle and smashed it on his leg.

“My brother, Chief Olayinka, therefore intervened, but Oluwafemi replied that it was you (Olayinka) that I have even come to kill.

“Then Oluwafemi’s daughter, Blessing, who was part of the attackers, took a chair and hit my brother (Bode Olayinka) on his head. Thereafter, they entered my shop where I sell beer in wholesale, destroyed many cartons, used bottles and other dangerous weapons to attack anyone they saw and vandalised nearly all the glasses in our house.

“Along the line, I was just trying to protect my brother because he is an elderly man, and I don’t want him to be killed.

“One of them also hit my head with a weapon and I was bleeding. It took the intervention of the military personnel who came to rescue us before we were allowed to go to the General Hospital for treatment.

“We called the police in Efon but they couldn’t come. They said the boys will attack them. But the military personnel later arrested the leader of the gang, Oluwafemi, and handed him over to the police.”

Olayinka said four of the wounded victims were at the police headquarters in Ado Ekiti to make a formal statement with the police.

While blaming the unfortunate incident on Karounwi, the APC chieftain said the commissioner’s alleged support for them had been causing a lot of crises within the APC in Efon LGA of the state.

He called on the state Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, to intervene and save his family members and party leaders from further attacks, which can lead to political explosion in the area.

All attempts to confirm the development from the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Sunday Abutu, proved abortive as calls put across to him could not be “completed.”

But when contacted on phone, Karounwi, who did not only deny the allegation vehemently, said he was not where near Efon during the attack, and could not even relate to the extent or otherwise of the attack.