Ondo Gov Election: Soldiers Detain PDP Candidate, Oke and his Aides

Ondo Gov Election: Soldiers Detain PDP Candidate, Oke and his Aides

Olusola Oke casting his vote
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A team of soldiers arrested and detained the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olusola Oke, at Igbotako town in company with hefty men in four jeeps and two hillux vans around 6:30 am on Saturday.

Our correspondent learnt that when the soldiers accosted Oke and his men at the Igbotako Motor Park, they could not explain their mission in the area.

Oke was said to have been treated with courtesy but the soldiers were said to have been tough on his men as they were allegedly asked to sit on bare floor for over one hour.

The PDP candidate was said to have been left off the hook around 7:13 am after he had made phone calls to ‘certain quarters’.

A source among the soldiers told our correspondent that Oke was arrested because he defied the ‘restriction’ order of the INEC and police.

Oke, who confirmed the development to journalists on Saturday evening, said, “It was true that the soldiers stopped me at Igbotako motor park and delayed us for sometime before they released us.”

Meanwhile, the police in Ondo State on Saturday denied an allegation by the Action Congress of Nigeria that the Commissioner for Special Duties, Niran Sule, and some other persons had been arrested for alleged possession of guns and ballot papers and boxes.

ACN had in a statement by its spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, alleged that “the Ondo State Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Niran Sule, and the Chairman of Owo Council, Mr. Akinrogbe, have been arrested and stripped naked after they were found with six AK-47 guns in the early hours of Saturday. They have been whisked to Akure for interrogation.”

However, the spokesman for the state police command, Mr. Aremu Adeniran, explained that he had contacted the Commissioner for Police, Ondo State, Mr. Muhammad Indabawa; Owo area commander; and Owo Divisional Police Officer and they all denied the report.

Aremu said, “Your people (journalists) have been calling me on the matter; but my boss, the CP, Owo Area Commander and the DPO Owo had all denied it when I called them.

“The implication of this is that the arrest, if any, was not carried out by the police and we are not aware of such incident.”

Also, the Public Relations Officer of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Akure, Lt.-Col. Emmanuel Onoja, said the Army were not aware of the purported arrests.