Scores of people sustained injuries Thursday at the Ondo State House of Assembly complex when security operatives shot sporadically to disperse the protesting youths.
The youths had been on peaceful demonstration at the entrance of the Assemb
ly along Igbatoro road in Akure, the state capital since last Sunday against the outgoing state governor, Olusegun Mimiko decision to present the 2017 budget and some bills 21 days to the end of his tenure.
They were also chased away on Wednesday when news filtered in that the governor would be presenting the last budget of his administration.
Already, there was a crack among the lawmakers as two factions led by Hon. Malachi Cokers and Hon. Jumoke Akindele are laying claim to the leadership of the parliament.
Coker’s faction had hijacked the Assembly by resuming every day to perform their constitutional plenary sessions, while those who were in Akindele’s camp and also loyal to Mimiko had shunned the Assembly.
A leader of
the protesters said “we normally have our peaceful protest at the premises of
Ondo State House of Assembly, just like what we had on Wednesday, but
surprisingly today (yesterday), Police men started shooting sporadically, stray
bullets, and this is uncalled for.
“We believe
there is room for peaceful protest, as entrenched in our constitution, we
believe we have the right to this protest, Just yesterday we called on the
Inspector General of Police to call Ondo Commissioner of police to order, and I
will want to reiterate that it is uncalled for.
“We learnt
that the Commissioner of police was even persuading the members of the house of
Assembly already seated to move out of the assembly complex.
“It is the
same Commissioner of Police who was there few days ago and asked that the place
be closed down, it is the same
Commissioner of Police who authorize the presentation of budget, it is the same
Commissioner of Police who now asked the members of the house of Assembly to
leave the complex
“We don’t know
why there is this issue of sporadic shooting in a peaceful protest, it is uncalled for, and we are calling on the Inspector General
of Police to look into the matter and we’ll meaning Nigerians and citizens of
Ondo State.
“We have been
at the Assembly for the past three days,
we didn’t know Governor Mimiko was even coming, we have always been there to protest
“What we are
protesting for is to tell our people that the governor is bringing a bill that
will bring untold hardship to the people of the state
“We are harmless
people, we don’t have enemy to
fight, we don’t have guns, we don’t have cutlass, we don’t have any dangerous weapon, so why shooting sporadically
“Many of our
members are injured, it was sporadic
gunshot everywhere and in the course of this
gun shot, many of our members are
injured”
But the
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Femi Joseph denied that live
bullets were used to disperse the crowd.
Joseph said
the police only used tear gas on them when some of them attempted to attack the
convoy of the governor.
“We have been
diplomatic in our approach to the protesters since they have been around the
Assembly.
“But
unfortunately yesterday, they went ahead to block the highway and they were
also approaching the Assembly complex.
“We have to
react by using tear gas to disperse them when they attempted to attack the
convoy of the governor,” the PPRO said
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