Osun House Minority Leader, Babajide Opens Up on Involvement In Ede Violence

The lawmaker representing Ede North State Constituency in the Osun State House of Assembly, Kofoworola Babajide has denied any involvement in the crisis that led to the killing of one of his constituents, Olakekan Abideen.

Babajide, who is the Minority Leader in the State Assembly, in a statement on Monday, countered the narrative by a family member of the deceased.

Babajide was accused of inviting police personnel from Osogbo, led by one Superintendent of Police, Omoyele.

It was alleged by relatives of the deceased that Olakekan’s wife was also killed by the policemen.

Trouble started during a ward meeting on Friday, which was convened to share a certain amount of money allegedly meant for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members for casting their votes in the July 16, gubernatorial election.

However, Babajide said he was nowhere near the scene of the attack when the man was killed.

He added that his silence on the matter since its occurrence was to respect the soul of the deceased and the search of his father who had been missing since his house was razed.

The lawmaker, while acknowledging that he attended the said ward meeting on Friday, denied that he kept back N250,000 meant for party members.

In his words, “While it was true that I attended the ward meeting of the PDP on the day in question, I was never part of the minor disagreement that arose between members but was swiftly resolved by leaders at the meeting. It was after I left the meeting that I was informed by one of my aides who was still at the meeting that thugs, mostly of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had pounced on members and left many scampering for safety.

“Upon further prompting, I gathered that the APC thugs had invaded the meeting upon the invitation of some aggrieved members, which Mrs. Rukayat Olalekan Olasoji, seemed to have confirmed in her interview. I received word that a patrol team of the Nigeria Police arrived at the scene of the scuffle and as they attempted an amicable resolution, Mr. Olalekan Abideen was said to have confronted them and in the ensuing melee, was shot by the officers.

“Let it be known that I was not at the scene or anywhere near it, contrary to the falsehood being promoted by Mrs. Rukayat Olalekan Olasoji. In fact, I was with Mrs. Rukayat Olajide Olasoji and her husband at the Division A Police station in Ede, when a baby taken from the deceased woman was brought in. The DPO of that station can confirm my presence. If that same Mrs. Rukayat Olajide Olasoji is claiming I led the attack that resulted in the woman’s death, the question to now ask her is how is it possible for me to be at two different places at the same time?

“Despite this, they mobilized to attack me and in the process, burnt two houses belonging to my parents, and my father, who was in one of the buildings before the attack is yet to be found.”

Babajide alleged that the attack on his family was a premeditated one, adding that he had evidence of threats issued against his life by a brother of the deceased.

While stressing that the attempt to link the violence in Ede was a failed plot to shut him up, he lamented that he lacked the protection from the police to continue to carry out his responsibility of interfacing with his constituents regularly.

Meanwhile, the Osun All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that plans have been set in motion to violently attack the media team of the State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola and the State APC Chairman, Gboyega Famodun.

In a statement signed by Kola Olabisi, the Media Adviser to the Osun APC chairman, he alleged that the plan was concocted in collaboration between the Osun PDP and The Osun Progressives (TOP), a faction of the Osun APC loyal to the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.

Olabisi claimed that the plot was to deny the media team of the governor and the APC an opportunity to air their views on any contemporary political issues at this crucial time in the political history of the State.