Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State yesterday escaped death by the whiskers as hoodlums armed with guns, cutlasses, and axes swooped on him at Olaiya junction while he was addressing the #EndSARS protesters at the state capital.
Governor Oyetola had joined protesters in the walk from Alekuwodo area to Olaiya junction, singing with them and promising them that their demands would be looked into.
He assured them of his support, saying peaceful agitations were a part of the democratic process.
But as he was still addressing the youths, the armed men and women started shooting and hurling stones at the governor’s car. They also shot at the Deputy Governor, Mr Benedict Alabi, damaging his vehicles.
Confirming the incident, the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs Funke Egbemode, who was also at the scene of the incident, said that the attack was beyond the #EndSARS protest, but a premeditated attempt to assassinate the governor.
According to her, “it was an assassination attempt. This was certainly beyond the #EndSARS protest. The people who launched the attack were not protesters at all. They were hoodlums with evil intentions.
“Protests have been going on in the state for some days now, and there had been no attack on any government official since the beginning of the protest.
“However, today’s attack changed the narrative. It was not a spontaneous attempt. The attackers had it all planned. They had guns and other weapons. In fact, it was a woman who smashed the windscreen of the vehicle of the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Wole Oyebamiji, where I was.
“It is really sad that these people infiltrated the ranks of the peaceful protesters and took advantage of the governor’s walk with the youths to execute their sinister intentions.
“It was simply a street coup to take out the governor, his deputy and the Secretary to the State Government, all of whom were exposed during the protest and had to be smuggled into vehicles when the attack was launched.
