Osun State section of the All Progressives Congress has charged the state Chief of Police, Mr Patrick Longe, to capture those behind the killing of an individual from the party in Ilesa-East Neighborhood Government Board Region of the state, Ebenezer Alaro.
Alaro was reportedly killed last Friday in front of his father's house in Ilesa by suspected criminals.
In a statement that was obtained in Osogbo on Sunday and written by its acting chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, the APC alleged that some leaders of the People's Democratic Party might have been involved in the incident and demanded their immediate arrest.
Lawal stated that the police must arrest a PDP leader in the area who is believed to be the murderer.
He went on to say that in the Atakumosa-East Local Government Council Area, thugs working for the aforementioned PDP leader have been attacking, wounding, and killing APC members and supporters, prompting a significant number of opposition party members from the settlements to flee the area.
“It wouldn't be an overstatement to submit that the (PDP leader's) past outbursts and threats indicate that he is a dangerous individual unfit to live among the people.
Lawal stated, "The video recording of his past threats in a meeting that has gone viral is an attestation to the fact that the PDP candidate is a violent human being. He threatened to use maximum force against any member of the APC that might come into his way during the last governorship election."
The PDP leadership in the state issued a counter-statement in which they accused two APC leaders of recruiting hoodlums and gave the two men who were alleged to have brought the hoodlums from neighboring states to disrupt the upcoming general elections 72 hours to remove them or face severe consequences.
The Chief General of the Atiku-Okowa Mission Board in Osun State, Mr Sunday Bisi, in the explanation said, "we are upset to alarm Nigerians and the entire universe of the hazardous plot by APC pioneers to leave decisions in Osun state.
“We are witnessing an influx of armed thugs into the state by key APC leaders as we count down to the day of the elections, which is Saturday.
We have been aware of all of the hotels in Osun East and other parts of the state where the APC has been lodging thugs since we have observed them entering Osun State in recent days.
“The daring hands have been prepared to unleash violence, intimidate innocent people, and target our members for attacks in order to scare them away from participating in the polls, as detailed in our credible findings.
This perfectly explains the uptick in violence directed at PDP members, particularly in Osun East, where many are increasingly in danger of losing their lives.
"We call on APC leaders to withdraw the violent actors brought into the state for the purpose of the election within 72 hours; in the event that they fail to do so, the PDP will hand over their locations to security agencies in order to force them out of the state," the APC's statement reads.
