Police arrest suspected thugs at bishop’s birthday

The police in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital on Saturday arrested some political thugs suspected to planned to attack the Action Congress governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, during the 75th birthday and retirement ceremony of Most Rev. Olatunji Fagun as the Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese.

Sources at the event said that two highly placed politicians and a notorious thug in the state made telephone calls some minutes before a bus load of armed suspected hoodlums stormed the church premises while Fayemi was still there.

However, some of those present at the ceremony alerted security operatives at the venue and the bus and all its occupants were arrested and taken into police custody.

But the AC’s Director of Communication and Strategy in the state, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu, in a statement said that the intention of the suspected was to kill Fayemi.

The statement reads, “The two personalities (names withheld) came to the premises of the church service and started loitering about after they had strategically parked the bus loaded with thugs and dangerous weapons at the shopping complex opposite the gate of the Catholic Church situated at Old Garage area, venue of the ceremony.”

“Vigilant passers- by, who saw the thugs, alerted security agents at the venue of the ceremony. The security agents accosted the renowned thug who confirmed that he was the one who brought the thugs to protect a government official who was also present on the occasion.

“The bus, with its occupants and dangerous weapons, was promptly arrested by security agents and taken into custody. The 14-seater bus is with registration number-OSUN -XB 432 LEW.

“The politician who spearheaded last week‘s assassination attempt on Dr. Fayemi, together with two security men attached to a government official, were seen making frantic efforts to release the suspects. He was openly begging the security agents to release them.”

But the Police Public Relations Officer for the command, Mr. Mohhamed Jimoh, who confirmed to our correspondent on the telephone that some persons were arrested at the event, said they were later released because nothing incriminating was found on them.

Fayemi’s convoy was attacked by some hoodlums last Tuesday when he was leaving the venue of the sitting of the election petitions tribunal where parties in the case adopted their written addresses.

He had also petitioned the state police command alleging that some persons were seeking to kill him between April 17 and 19 and on the day the tribunal would deliver the judgment in his petition.