Segun Atanda/
Governorship candidate of the All Progressivess Congress in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, narrowly escaped alleged assassination in Ado-Ekiti, today.
But a former member of the House Representatives, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, was hit by the alleged assassin’s bullet, while standing with Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), Fayemi and former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, during a rally at the party secretariat.
An unidentified person reportedly died, while others were injured in the incident which was witnessed by several APC leaders and supporters.
Some reports said the shooting was caused by an accidental discharge from the rifle of one of the mobile policemen deployed at APC state secretariat where the event took place.
An eyewitness told NewsmakersNG: “The mobile policeman, in his effort to protect the VIPs, was using his gun to push away the crowd; some members of the crowd got annoyed and dragged the gun with him. It was then he shot sporadically in the air, to scare them away.
“The mobile policeman was subsequently mobbed by angry party members who eventually disarmed him. He was said to have been behaving funny earlier in the day, leading to some of his colleagues urging him to surrender his weapon. Some had even alleged that he was probably drunk.”
Others however told NewsmakersNG that culprit was discovered to be a fake policeman, prompting a mob to descend on before he was rescued by security agents. This claim is however yet to be confirmed.
Party Chairman, Mr. Jide Awe, confirmed the incident was an assassination attempt on the party’s candidate, Fayemi, but the bullet accidentally hit Bamidele.
He also said the identity of the shooter had not been confirmed in spite of the fact that he was dressed in mobile police uniform.
He said Bamidele was in a stable condition in an undisclosed hospital, but could confirm the conditions of others they were injured in the incident.
Meanwhile, Publicity Secretary of APC in the state, Rt.Hon Taiwo Olatunbosun, has issued a statement in which he reaffirmed that the incident was an assassination attempt on Fayemi.
He also said that apart from Bamidele, five other party members were injured in the alleged attack.
He gave their names as Olabode Joshua, Olanrewaju Gbenga, Adebayo Ogunjemilehin, Ogunmodede Oluwole and Alex Adeleye.
The statement entitled, ‘Fayemi Survives Assassination, As Ex-Lawmaker, Others Sustain Gunshot Wounds’, further read: “Bloody politicking returned to Ekiti State yesterday, as former Governor Kayode Fayemi survived assassination in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital.
“Fayemi resigned his appointment on Wednesday as the Minister of Mines and Steel Development and was returning to Ekiti State on Friday in a welcome party planned by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“It was a smooth ride from Akure Airport to Ikere-Ekiti where thousands of supporters came out to give him a rousing welcome.
“Ikere-Ekiti journey to Ado-Ekiti, a distance of about nine kilometres, lasted two hours in a heavy traffic that was punctuated by four gunmen suspected to be agents of the state government who strategically positioned themselves at the party’s secretariat in Ado-Ekiti for the attack.
“One of the assailants dressed in mobile police uniform was apprehended and he is now helping the police in their investigation.
“They fired gunshots aimed at Fayemi but hit a former lawmaker, Opeyemi Bamidele, after the former minister had taken a few steps forward before the bullets hit the target.
“Bamidele and other victims were immediately rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, where doctors are responding to his treatment.
“Bamidele was fatally wounded in the attack while others also sustained various degrees of injuries.”
Polices authorities in the state said the policeman responsible for the shooting was on illegal duty in the state.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Caleb Chukwuemeka, the yet-to-be-identified mobile policeman left his duty post at a bank in Ikeja area of Lagos without lawful permission to accompany an unnamed politician to the state.
He said both the policeman, who is attached to MOPOL 20 Ikeja and the politician he followed to the state were already in police custody.
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