By Steve Oni, Ilorin
Following repeated cases of political violence in the Ilorin metropolis ahead of coming general elections, the Kwara state government has set up a joint security task force to curb orgy of violence being witnessed in the state capital.
It is recalled that political thugs had unleashed mayhem in the past few days in some parts of the state capital, inflicting injury on people with gunshots, machetes, cutlasses and destroying property and valuables.
This is just as the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state said, on Monday, that a member of the party, identified as Abdulrasheed Oloduowo, was killed in the Sunday violence at Ode Alfa Nda, Ilorin.
Speaking when he led members of the State Security Council to Agbaji area of Ilorin, scene of Sunday’s political violence, immediately, after the security council meeting, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed assured residents of security agencies’ readiness to safeguard lives and property.
“Serious measures are being put in place to address these political violences. First, a joint task force that will ensure that all such political violences are curbed or nipped in the bud is being set up. We want to give confidence to the people that the security agencies and government will ensure that there’s peaceful coexistence and peaceful environment all through the political activities that we have, in sha Allah”, he said.
The governor, who described the recent orgy of political violence in the metropolis as unfortunate, said that it is a complete degeneration of the political value of the people of the state.
“It’s not acceptable because politics is meant to be carried on peacefully and activities therein peacefully too. But what we are seeing is a clear case of criminality.
“We have just risen from the Security Council meeting and I want to assure you that justice will be done. All culprits that have been involved in the orgy of violence must be brought to book to serve as deterrent to prospective criminals. We will not accept or allow this in the state again. We have chosen to live as peaceful people and we want to carry out our activities peacefully”, he said.
In same vein, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state has condemned the recent political violence, saying that there is threat to their lives.
The APC leaders, led by the governorship candidate, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, while addressing journalists in Ilorin on Monday, said that a member of the party, Abdulrasheed Oloduowo, was killed in the Sunday political violence at Ode Alfa Nda community, Ilorin.
The party also called on police and all other security agencies to go into the untoward development, especially as it involves loss of lives and destruction of property, to bring all culprits of the political violence to book to avoid a repeat.
“We implore our party members and supporters throughout the state not to be dissuaded by the unfortunate incidents. The plan of our opponents is to intimidate and scare all of us into submission so that we will not be able to come out and exercise our franchise on the day of the election. We shall not allow this to happen.
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