FIVE people have been arrested by the Osun State Police Command following an attack on the convoy of the governor’s wife, Kafayat Oyetola.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Command Yemisi Opalola disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
The statement disclosed that, according to Dauda Ismail, Chief Security Officer of the governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, a truck blocked the First Lady’s convoy and the driver sustained injuries on his forehead.
The statement did not explain how the driver sustained the injury.
“He stated that one Omolola Opeyemi ‘M’ of Ijebu Ode, a driver of one truck without reg number blocked the movement of the First Lady, as a result of the traffic blockage.
“The driver was wounded on his forehead while some hoodlums took advantage of that and started stoning vehicles in the convoy that got one DSS personnel wounded. However, five suspects were arrested at the scene,” the statement said.
Oyetola’s convoy was attacked at Owode, Ede Market highway on Friday evening.
Condemning the attack, the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) described it as barbaric and alleged that political thugs of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were the perpetrators.
However, in a statement released by its spokesman Oladele Olawabamiji on Saturday, the PDP said Oyetola’s wife was attempting to cover up an assault on the truck driver by her escort.
According to the PDP, the First Lady’s escort had beaten up the truck driver whose vehicle developed a fault in the middle of the road, resulting in the attack by members of the public on her convoy.
“That was the point the First Lady’s convoy arrived the scene and instead of helping to clear the traffic hold up , the security operatives around the First Lady pounced on the truck driver, beating him to a state of stupor.
“Realising the outcome of their criminal misadventure, the operatives rushed the driver to the hospital after the former had slumped. It was at this point that people around the market angrily reacted, pelting the convoy with stones and others,” the PDP said in the statement.
The PDP also urged the First Lady to apologise for the assault on the truck driver.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.