By IDOWU GABRIEL
The Police Command in Ekiti say they are investigating a bloody clash between two rival political parties in a part of the state on Saturday.
Spokesman for the Command, DSP Sunday Abutu, made this known in Ado-Ekiti, while reacting to the clash, which ensued between supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) at Itaji-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area of the state.
Abutu said investigation to unravel what actually transpired, and the number of casualties, as well as the possible arrest of culprits had already commenced, while normalcy returned to the area.
“But on the killing of a person, we are yet to get that confirmation. As soon as that is done, I will update the press,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that one person was alleged to have died during the attack, with several others wounded, and now battling for life.
Local sources said the victim was among three persons, also allegedly shot at the scene, when the supporters of the SDP governorship candidate, Mr Segun Oni, and that of APC, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, allegedly engaged themselves in a gun duel.
Apart from the alleged casualty, the two persons who were shot during the violent act are said to be receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Ekiti University Teaching Hospital, (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti.
But speaking while confirming the encounter and killing, APC State Publicity Secretary, Mr Segun Dipe, and the Director, Media and Publicity, Biodun Oyebanji Campaign Organisation, Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun, said those affected were allegedly shot by SDP political thugs, who swooped on a faulty campaign vehicle, belonging to APC candidate in Itaji-Ekiti.
The duo claimed that the thugs, besides shooting the dead member in the chest, also allegedly rained bullets on a vehicle belonging to the Special Adviser on Road Infrastructures to the Governor, Mr Rufus Adunmo.
The APC spokesperson, Segun Dipe, particularly called on the police and other security agencies, to arrest the perpetrators for peace to reign in Ekiti before and during the poll.
“We were attacked, but we will not be daunted. We refused to be provoked. The hands of the law will catch up with whoever was the mastermind. We will not allow them to derail what is happening in Ekiti.
“The peace of Ekiti should not be tampered with. We now see the people opposed to peace in Ekiti, who have been creating mayhem in Ekiti.
“As I speak with you, we are at the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital. The dead member had been deposited in the morgue, while the two injured are at the ICU section of the facility. This is not the kind of election our people deserve,” he said.
However countering the position of the ruling APC, the Director of Media and Publicity of Segun Oni Campaign Organisation, Mr Jackson Adebayo, said the APC should be held responsible for what happened.
“We were at the palace at Itaji-Ekiti where Segun Oni was meeting with the traditional rulers of Oye Local Government Area, while some people were outside the palace. Suddenly we saw about five buses fully loaded with political thugs associated with the APC.
“They started shooting sporadically. We initially thought they were shooting to scare us away, people were running helter-skelter without knowing that they really were targeting our members to kill.
“They were also trying to force their way to where Segun Oni was may be in an attempt to assassinate him. That was when they were repelled by security agencies who came to the rescue.
“But unfortunately, one of the thugs missed his vehicle, because he fell down. We interrogated him and he said they were agents of APC. They left, we learnt one of them died later, but I would not know how,” Adebayo said. (NAN)
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