Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, has said political thugs are those who attempted to assassinate him and some of his political aides while identifying with youths who were engaging in legitimate protest against the alleged brutality of the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The Governor in a statewide broadcast on Sunday morning, explained that his attackers were not the genuine youths who were protesting under the aegis of #EndSARS.
Oyetola who claimed to have joined the protest from Okefia and walked to Olaiya junction, where he addressed the peaceful protesters before the process was hijacked by hoodlums.
The Governor said the deaths from yesterday’s protest was not in any way connected to him as his security personnel did not open fire ammunition or teargas at the protest venue.
Specifically, the Governor said his attackers were “identified political thugs”.
Oyetola said, “It is unfortunate that yesterday’s protest which started peacefully was allowed to degenerate into a violent exercise and a huge danger to the lives and property of the people that we are called out to protect. This is unacceptable.
“During the course of my address to the protesters to reiterate our cooperation and support, political thugs hijacked the exercise and hurled stones and dangerous weapons at us and vandalised several cars in my convoy.
“As a responsible and responsive government, we will do everything within the ambit of the law to protect the lives and property of our people. All our citizens and residents are enjoined to be law abiding as any person found contravening the law shall be made to face the wrath of the law.
“We commit to the cause of our youths and the #EndSARS protesters and shall do everything to ensure that their demands are met.
“We sympathise with the families of the diseased and pray to God to grant them the fortitude to bear the great losses.
“Attempt on the life of the governor cannot be planned by the youths who constituted over 60 per cent of the voters that elected us into office and had embarked on successful and peaceful road walks with us several times in the past.
“Osun youths who are the original #EndSARS protesters have travelled the long road of building a better Osun with us and we have been on the lane of delivering a better and prosperous Osun together. This assassination attempt could not have come from them.
He however said, his government will set up a Judicial Panel of Enquiry in line with the directive of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to investigate all related cases of abuse and brutality by the disbanded SARS and yesterday’s attack.
He assured the citizens the perpetrators of the criminal act will be fished out and bring them to justice, saying a responsible government will do everything in her powers to protect the lives and property of her subjects.
“We shall not condone any act that will compromise the lives of our people and the hard-won ranking of our State as the most peaceful state in Nigeria.
“Our Administration had identified with the youths from Day One of the protest in the belief that protest is a legitimate right of the citizenry and a core component of democracy” he said.
