OSUN ACN LEADERS ACCUSE SSS BOSS OF COMPLICITY OVER IFE MAYHEM

By NBF News

LEADERS of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ile-Ife, Osun State whose houses were attacked before the murder of five persons a few hours to the National Assembly election last Saturday, have accused the Director of the State Security Service (SSS) in the state, Mr. Olusegun Adegboye, of allegedly failing to arrest the situation before it went out of hand.

Addressing a joint press conference yesterday in Osogbo, the ACN leaders, including its candidate for Ife Federal Constituency, Rotimi Makinde, Felix Awofisayo and Gbenga Owolabi, expressed dissatisfaction that several reports made to the security outfit on threats to their lives were unheeded.

They claimed the lives of the deceased might have been saved if the security operatives had taken all necessary steps to arrest the suspected attackers whose identities were given to the agency before the ugly incident took place.

Owolabi, who betrayed his emotions while narrating the harrowing experience he and members of his family went through when the attackers visited his house at about 2 amĀ  on Saturday, alleged that the gunmen were sponsored by a prominent politician in the state.

His words: 'Before the incident, I had a premonition that such a thing was going to happen. It began with the abduction of my brother, Idowu Lambe, who was later found in SSS detention cell. The manner of his arrest is somewhat strange. He was handcuffed and his face was covered. The SSS gave no explanation for this.'

According to Makinde, the attackers had held a series of meetings at a location close to his father's house with the aim of eliminating him, Awofisayo, Jide Omoworare, Biyi Odunlade and Owolabi.

He said the attackers fired several gunshots at his house to cut him down but after failing in their bid, pursued two of his younger brothers to a nearby church where they were killed with three other worshippers holding a vigil in the church.

'Before they got to my place, the death squad had gone on rampage, beginning from Felix Awofisayo's house at Parakin GRA in Ile-Ife where 39 bullets were fired at the building. They moved to Jide Omoworare's house where they also fired several shots into the house. When they discovered that he was not at home, they then moved to my house,' he said.

Makinde alleged that the objective of the attack was to use Ile-Ife as a launching pad to begin a series of violent activities in order that a state of emergency can be declared in the state.

He said ACN Chairman in Kere ward, Ife South Local Council, Lamidi Afolabi was also attacked and killed by another squad while the election was going on Saturday.

The state Director of SSS said he had no comment when contacted on his mobile phone to react to the allegation yesterday.

Meanwhile, Governor Rauf Aregbesola has vowed that everything would be done to fish out the killers and make them to face the wrath of the law.

He gave the promise last Sunday when he paid condolence visits to the families of the victims at Ile-Ife.