The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of killing one of its members.
The deceased known as Mudasiru Baraka who hails from ward 4 Tengba, Oyo East local Government area was a said to be a grassroot mobilizer in Oyo town.
According to a statement on Wednesday, the PDP through its spokesman, Mr Akeem Olatunji, accused the state chapter of the APC of sponsoring the assassination of Baraka.
The communique added that others who fled from the scene when the murder occurred, sustained varied degrees of injuries.
The party called on the state Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Williams, to bring the culprits of the dastardly act to justice expeditiously.
Narrating what transpired, the statement disclosed that “on Wednesday December 28, the deceased was murdered in cold blood at his family house in Oyo town, and that the matter has already been reported at the Durbar Police Station in Oyo”.
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The late Baraka according to the PDP, had gone to his family house in the spirit of the yuletide to celebrate with his parents.
The ruling party added that PDP members who were witnesses present at the scene of the event, revealed that the deceased was waylaid and threatened by notorious thugs who allegedly are APC supporters.
According to the witnesses, the thugs were led by a notorious miscreant popularly known as ‘Ade Ilaka’.
Baraka had earlier fended off his assailants and afterwards, he reported the threats to men of the ‘Operation Burst’ who cover the area.
The security personnel are said to have accompanied the deceased back to his family house to effect necessary security actions but the attackers had absconded at the time.
The statement further disclosed that after the security operatives had departed the area, the assailants returned more viciously to the family house of the deceased, and there, they murdered him in cold blood.
The PDP Oyo Chapter was of the opinion that the do or die approach by the APC and some of its candidates in Oyo, may plunge the state into an avoidable theater of political war if not urgently arrested.
PDP stressed that the party’s calmness and peaceful disposition to the already heightened political campaign was in the spirit of peace, and the freedom of the people to elect whoever they want as their leaders, adding that it is tandem with the peace accord that the party has restrained its members from resorting to self help in the face of eminent threats.
“It is very unfortunate that despite the peace accord APC jointly entered into alongside other political parties in the state ahead of the 2023 general elections, the opposition party has continued in its sustained and coordinated attacks against our members in its usual manner,” the PDP statement partly read.
The party further called on the state Commissioner of Police to ensure relative peace is restored in the state, urging him to immediately step in and expedite actions that will guarantee the apprehension of those involved in Baraka’s gruesome murder.
Meanwhile, the APC has faulted the story being circulated by the PDP, suggesting that its members masterminded the killing of Mudashiru Baraka in Oyo town.
According to the APC, those making the accusation should be investigated if such ugly incident ever occurred as orchestrated.
Reacting to the development through its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC condemned what it described as the ruling party’s penchant for playing politics with issues relating to security of lives and properties in the state.
“Oyo town is not a recluse as it’s populated by good people who lived in peace and tranquility until the present PDP administration of Gov Seyi Makinde came with its mission of domestic terrorism.
“For the avoidance of doubt, some leaders of our great party (APC) were in Oyo town to welcome some defectors from the PDP, Accord and other parties. The ceremony went well and everybody present including some of our candidates and leaders as well as party supporters enjoyed the atmosphere which was devoid of violence or tension.
“We do not know of any violent attack recorded in Oyo town and as such, we urge the State Police Command to investigate the allegation with a view to establishing the fact and punishing the culprits particularly those making false allegations against our Party,” Sadare stated.
