#EndSARS: Thugs hijack protest in Osun, attack governor, deputy

By Sunday Oguntuyi, Osogbo

What started as a peaceful protest against police brutality in Osun State on Saturday,  turned to large scale violence, as hoodlums went on rampage.

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, alongside his deputy, Benedict Alabi, who on Saturday met with the protesters at Olaiya junction, Osogbo, the state capital, to address them came under heavy attacks, as hoodlums freely used different dangerous weapons.

Many vehicles in the convoy of the governor and his deputy were seriously damaged, while some residents got injured in the ensuing melee.

According to an eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, the governor was quickly whisked away when the suspected thugs started shooting and causing panic amongst protesters and others at the scene of the event.

” This issue has gone beyond ordinary protest, it is obvious that the opposition party is out to cause chaos in the state and embarrass the government.

“The protesters were civil and really appreciated the governor for coming to address them; they were elated when they sighted the governor and ready to listen to him until some boys just surfaced from nowhere and started shooting, making everybody to run for cover.

“Security agents have to move the governor and his deputy from the scene, as these thugs started using different objects to damage almost all the vehicles in the governor’s convoy, it is indeed a terrible experience”, the source explained.

In the same vein, a public analyst, Barr. Tola Adediwura, whose office is located very close to the scene, totally condemned the act of violence against the governor and his deputy, describing it as arson.

He said the perpetrators and their sponsors are not being fair to the governor in anyway, and failed to reciprocate his good gesture of humility and sensitivity.

Adediwura therefore advised the governor to quickly instruct law enforcement agencies to commence investigation into the matter immediately and get the perpetrators and their sponsors arrested and equally prosecute them.

“It is obvious that this attack on the governor and his entourage is politically motivated and indeed a bad omen for our emerging democracy”, he said .