Uproar in Osogbo as REC beats up journalist

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of Osun State, Mr. Oloruntoyin Akeju, on Tuesday, battered the the state correspondent, Leadership newspapers, Mr Semiu Ayanbimpe. A petition to the Commissioner of Police, Osun Command, by Ayanbimpe, on Wednesday, alleged that he (Ayanbimpe) went to the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission along Gbongan-Osogbo Road, on Tuesday, to seek the REC’s side to an allegation levelled against Akeju by the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, Osun chapter. He said the REC requested for a copy of the petition, which alleged that he (Akeju) had received a bribe of N25m from certain politicians in the state. The journalist said he showed the petition to the REC, stressing that the “petition was signed by prominent personalities in the state.” “After reading the petition, the REC told Mrs. Nike Tadese (State INEC’s Head of Public Relations) to call all directors of the commission, who all came to the office of the REC. The REC suddenly got up and told me to kneel down.” Ayanbimpe added, “He ordered the State Security Service officer in his office to deal with me if I attempted to run. I knelt down and he began to beat me up, raining blows and kicks on me.” After beating me up, he told the SSS official to call SSS office for more men. “In a twinkle of an eye, some SSS officials arrived and they bundled me into a vehicle, saying that I am under arrest. Quoting Akeju, Ayanbimpe said, “He was shouting on top of his voice, saying ‘after I have dealt with you, Tunde Odesola of PUNCH will be my next victim.’ I am going to physically kill Tunde Odesola.” Ayanbimpe said he was detained at the SSS Office in Osogbo for more than seven hours, adding that he was not was given an opportunity to make phone calls. By Tunde Odesola, Osogbo Courtesy of: Punch