Nigeria Content Online

The Oyo State
commissioner of police, Baba Adisa Bolanta, at the weekend, reiterated
his command’s readiness to ensure violence-free elections in the state
in April.

The police chief
had, on Friday, paraded four suspects arrested after a violent clash
between members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) at Onipe village in Oluyole local government
area of the state.

The clash was an
aftermath of a raid on the village by political thugs in which its
longstanding serenity was shattered, leading to infliction of injury on
some residents as well as wanton destruction of properties.

Mr. Bolanta
promised to start intercepting campaign vehicles to see if occupants
use them to convey ammunitions to rally grounds. He said his command
would also conduct intermittent raids on some black spots in the state
to mop up hoodlums who could be used by politicians to disrupt voting
and confer undue advantage on their sponsors during the coming
elections.

“We are sending
clear signals to hoodlums in the state that we will not allow anybody
to disrupt the elections. We will, from now, intercept campaign convoys
and check if the occupants are carrying arm. Anyone caught with arms
will be arrested and treated as an armed robber,” he said.

Speaking on the
suspects arrested at Onipe, the police boss said he was not going to
give their names and political parties they belong to, saying the
police wants to remain neutral in the unfolding political drama in the
state.

“We are not
supporting anybody and we are not harbouring anybody. That is why we
are parading this people. If there is any problem anywhere, people
should endeavour to report to the police and not take laws into their
hands,” he said.

He urged
politicians to stop accusing the police of taking sides and blaming the
institution for unrest they (the politicians) mastermind and inflict on
the people, admonishing them to sell themselves to the people through
issue-based campaign rather than violence or buck-passing.

The hands of the police

When NEXT visited
Onipe at the weekend, the residents alleged that those who came to
attack villagers were accompanied by some police officers.

They said the
thugs, believed to be members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN),
were coming from a campaign rally in a nearby town.

Adebayo Opaleye, the village head, recalled that the thugs stormed the village around 4pm, wielding dangerous weapons.

“When I was told of
their arrival, I thought they wanted to come and campaign as others
often did. But they did not. Instead, they descended on the people,
injured them, and destroyed properties here,” he said.

At the heart of the
crisis at Onipe are accusations and counter-accusations between the ACN
and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over destruction of
campaign posters.

The PDP was said to
be the more established party at Onipe and the ACN thugs, who injured
them on Thursday, allegedly got furious when they were told not to
remove posters of PDP candidates pasted on walls.

Two victims are still in hospital as at last weekend, receiving treatment.