By Mumini Abdulkareem
The Kwara State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has cried out over Mass importation and influx of political thugs including recruitment of armed militias by different factions of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to foment crisis in Kwara state.
The party made this known in a petition titled, “Mass Influx and importation of political thugs into Kwara state by different factions of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kwara state” addressed security agencies.
State Director of the Department of State Security Services, (DSS), Kwara State Commissioner of Police as well as State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) where all copied the petition which was jointly signed by the state’s PDP Chairman, Engr Kola Shittu and the party’s State Legal Adviser, Michael Aborishade.
The PDP in the petition expressed great fear in the rate at which armed political machineries have infiltrated the state with sinister assistance of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq loyalists and some chieftains of his party, the APC who are opposed to draconian demeanour of the Governor within the party.
The party called for an in-depth investigation by the security agencies with a view to exposed those masterminding political crisis which may affect the general wellbeing and security of the state as a whole and bring them to book.
The party also accused Special Assistant to the Governor on Domestic Affairs, Obasanjo Alashe popularly called SOJ as the leader of one of the thugs believed to be working for the Governor. The PDP Petition reads in part: “The PDP in Kwara State note with great concern and fear the mass influx and importation of armed political thugs into the state chapter of APC. These dreadful and fierce looking armed thugs have infiltrated the populace making it very easy for them to unleash their terror on the common and ordinary man innocently going about their lawful business in Ilorin metropolis and the state in general.
“Of importance and concern is the barbaric reign of terror carried out at the Kwara State banquet hall GRA Ilorin recently where state properties and personal properties were damaged and destroyed and several people suffered different degrees of matchet cuts and injuries were sustained by members of the various factions of the Kwara State APC during their stakeholders meeting preceding their party’s membership registration and revalidation exercise.
“Notorious amongst these armed thugs group is the group being mentioned in the different videos that went viral to have been led by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Domestic Affairs, one Mr. Alashi Obasanjo (SOJ) believed to be the loyalist of the Governor, the several and various victims kept mentioning his name in the different media on the day in question.
The party also highlighted some facts which formed the basis of her petition to the security outfits in the state.
“These armed thugs and the several others are still very much in town and within the state. Our fears are precipitated upon the following facts: “During the registration and revalidation of the APC membership card exercise, the armed thugs brought in by the various factions has been unleashing terror and attacking each other causing panic in the town/state.
“It will be a herculean task to disarm or recover the arms that has unlawfully and illegally found its way into the hands of these hoodlums and political thugs.
“The aftermath of the inability to recover these arms with these political thugs who are in the town already will spell doom for the safety of lives and properties of the innocent Kwarans.
“The lives of the members of the opposition parties especially the PDP members and every individual opposed to the political views of the Governor will eventually be a target of attack by these armed thugs now that we are approaching active politicking period in Nigeria.
“There is no gainsaying in the fact that most deaths arising out of political assassinations are never resolved or discovered. Kwara State is known and called the state of harmony due to the peace that pervade the state and as a responsive and law abiding political party, we cannot fold our hands for the peace to elude us or be truncated by these hoodlums or political thugs”.
