Accord Party protests as suspected hoodlums abduct two in Osun

Tension has gripped Ilesa in Osun State following the alleged abduction of two Accord Party members by suspected hoodlums. The incidents have sparked protests and raised concerns about political violence in the region.

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I am a poor woman. They took my son away yesterday evening. We were eating when the thugs came. We pleaded with them but they refused. I am a poor woman; they should release my son alive.

Viral videos captured the disturbing moments of the abductions. One video showed a man pleading with his captors, who fired gunshots into the air before bundling him into a vehicle bearing the inscription "AMBO," associated with the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji. Another video depicted an elderly woman protesting at the palace of the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adesuyi Haastrup, about the abduction of her son.

The distraught mother, speaking in Yoruba, recounted how her son was taken while eating, despite pleas from the family. She identified alleged perpetrators and pleaded for her son's safe return. Members of the Accord Party also staged a peaceful protest, marching through Ilesa to the Owa's Palace. Carrying placards with inscriptions like "APC thugs are abducting us" and "Save us from APC hoodlums," they demanded the immediate release of the victims and accused the APC of orchestrating the abductions.

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We are aware of the abductions that took place in Ilesa. It happened on Thursday. The two victims were abducted in Ilesa. At first, the incidents were cases of abduction, but investigations have revealed that they were not just cases of abduction; there are other ingredients of criminality in these cases.

The Osun State Police Command confirmed the incidents, stating that the two victims were in police custody and assisting with investigations. However, the spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, noted that while initially appearing as abductions, "other ingredients of criminality" were involved, and arrests were yet to be made. The Osun APC Governorship Campaign Council, in a statement, accused the Accord Party of attempting to politicize the incidents and brand vehicles associated with the APC.

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APC thugs are abducting us