By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

|

Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State Council, has condemned attack on its members by suspected hoodlums during the All Progressive Congress campaign in Gbongan, Ayedade Local government area of the state.

A statement by the Chairman of the Union, Wasiu Ajadosu and Secretary, Bukola Elufadejin, described the attack on members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the union as unfortunate, uncivilized and unwarranted.

It added that the union will no longer condone such unprovoked attack on its members in the state.

The statement, therefore, urged political parties in the state to urgently sanitise the composition of their teeming supporters in order to get rid of any form of hooliganism and political thuggery.

They union threatened that it would stop its members from covering political parties if their safety cannot be guaranteed.

They called on Osun State Police Command to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act and bring them to justice to serve as deterrent to others with such violent tendencies.

They further warned criminal elements to desist from working against the success of the forthcoming election in the State, so as not to discourage harmless electorate from performing their civic responsibilities.

However, the state Commissioner for Information has visited the Correspondent chapel of NUJ to commiserate with the leadership and its injured members, condemning the unfortunate attack. Members of Nigerian Union of Journalists, Correspondent Chapel in Osun State who were on Campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, were on  Monday attacked by some suspected thugs.

The thugs injured about four  journalists and some party supporters, while they damaged  many vehicles during the unfortunate attack

The hoodlums suspected to be working for a yet to ascertained opposition party in state laid a siege along Arapajo area of Gbongan, the headquarters of Ayedade Local Government Area of Osun State close to the venue where APC rally was held.

Shortly after the campaign programme, the thugs led by one Yinka Tailor  assembled themselves along the road to attack the campaign vehicles including a bus of Nigeria Union of Journalists, correspondent chapel.

The windscreen of journalists’ bus was smashed  and some particles of the broken windscreen glasses hit four of the Correspondent  chapel members.

The hoodlums who used some blocks to barricade the road force someone vehicles to slow down their speed and attacked in the process.

The assailants, who were armed with cutlasses, cudgels, axes, stones, and other weapons, blocked the road, forcing vehicles to slow down.

In the process, they smashed the windows of the vehicles conveying the journalists, injuring four of them.