CITIZENS COMPASS– FEW hours after some rioters set ablaze some banks and vandalised property in Sagamu, Ogun State, a candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bola Oluwole has dissociated self from being behind the riot.
The House of Representatives candidate for the Remo North Federal Constituency, in a statement personally signed by him described the allegation as unfounded and untrue.
Citizens Compass had reported that two groups of protesters under different missions, reportedly went on rampage on Monday, February 20, 2023, setting ablaze some banks in Sagamu area of Ogun State.
According to eye witnesses’ accounts, one of the groups were political thugs in Sagamu while the other were bank customers who began protests over scarcity of Naira notes.
Both groups were said to have came across each other and began to riot as residents, road users, workers and transporters ran helter skelter.
It was learnt that some of the banks were set ablaze while some were vandalised as lootings took place unhindered.
Some of the banks’ property were said to be carted away by the rioters during the riots.
Among the affected banks were Stanbic IBTC Bank, Sterling bank, Access bank, Guarantee Trust (GTB) Bank, Polaris Bank and United Bank for Africa (UBA) all along Sabo Road, ijokun, Isalẹ Oko and Akarigbo Road.
Protests with different missions
Our Correspondent who was at the scenes of the incident reports that the loyalists to the political stalwarts commenced their protests by tearing campaign posters of some political candidates for the upcoming 2023 elections and this was done very close to some banks.
Similarlly, the other group have besieged the banks to withdraw some cash but when it dawned on them that cash was unavailable, they threw caution into the wind and protests began which snowballed into riots and attracted suspected hoodlums including the political thugs.
With bonfires, the protesters barricaded the Sagamu-Benin expressway preventing human and vehicular movements.
However, Oluwole advised the Ogun State chapter of All Progressives Congress to stop shifting the blame on opposition and innocent Nigerians over the protest that rocked some part of the state occasioned by the fuel scarcity and new naira notes.
He maintained that Nigerians are only angered by the economic hardship in the country and their inability to access their hard-earned money.
The candidate noted that his alleged involvement in the protest was orchestrated by the APC to destroy and smear his image.
According to him, the ruling party is afraid of his growing popularity ahead of Saturday’s National Assembly election.
He explained that, as that the time the protest was ongoing in Sagamu, he was far away in Abuja in a meeting with the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
He said, “I want to say in strong terms that I am not in any way connected to the protest, Nigerians are only angered by the economic hardships in the country and their inability to access their hard-earned money and the fuel scarcity.
“The APC–led government should address the situation rather than shifting the blame to innocent Nigerians.
I am a peace-loving person, a grassroots politician who has the love of his people at heart, I will never get myself involved in things that will destroy the peace and tranquility of my constituency.
“As of yesterday evening, our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar met with all National Assembly candidates to strategise for the election so where will I have the chance to mobilise for the violent protest?”
