LG polls: Police warn  trouble makers

By Micheal Ofulue
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Ondo State Police Command at the weekend warned political thugs to steer clear of Ondo state ahead of incoming local government elections in the state.

The warning came following report of attacked on Mr Gbenga Fasua, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Chairmanship Candidate for Akure South Local Government, Ondo State, in the forthcoming local government elections.

The police spokesman, ASP Tee-Leo Ikoro, who spoke with The Hope Metro said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Undie Adie has ordered a full scale investigation into the matter.

 He explained that Fasua attackers destroyed some of his property including campaign vehicles, doors, windows, television set.

 It would be recalled that the State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) has scheduled local government elections in the state for April 18.

PPRO said that the incident happened on Friday at around 11:45pn shortly after the victim left a programme titled “Oselu” on the state owned Ondo State Radio Corporation (OSRC) “to keep the public abreast of his candidature and the manifesto for the incoming council polls.

According  to sources, some armed men numbering about five forced themselves into the house of the victim located behind Golden Filling Station, Irese, Akure, shooting sporadically to scare people away.

Reports reaching The Hope Metro indicated that, the gunmen took ATM cards, mobile phones, car keys and “ransacked the compound looking for the victim.

The hoodlums left the house of the victim at about 1:12am and that one of his vehicles was taken away and latter abandoned at Ijare, an outskirt community.

Police sources hinted that the hoodlums met the wife of the victim on their arrival and started asking the whereabouts of her husband who hid somewhere around the house.

 The gunmen The Hope Metro investigation revealed spent over 35 minutes of a serious searching for  the victim before they requested for all ATM cards from his wife and also took away some cash in the victims bedroom and damaged many property.

The matter was reported at Ijapo Police Station and the DPO dispatched a team of detectives to the scene of the crime but before getting there, the hoodlums have disappeared to the thin air

 The DPO immediately alerted the Commissioner of Police, Mr Undie Adie on the matter who then directed that two policemen to be posted to the victim’s house to keep survilliance while men on Patrol were also asked to move round the area of the incident.

 The police first information report (FIR) made available to The Hope Metro has attributed the attack  to a political issue.

However, the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Tee-Leo Ikoro, told The Hope Metro that investigation was ongoing in a bid to arrest those involved in the crime.

He appealed to all politicians to play the game according to the rules, warning that the police would not fold its arms and watch anybody irrespective of how highly placed to truncate the existing peace.