BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The intra party squabbles rocking the All Progressives Congress in Osun State took a new dimension on Monday when some loyalists of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, were arraigned by the Police before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Osogbo for alleged assault and conspiracy.
Those arraigned included a former Chairman of the party and the incumbent Chairman of a caucus in the party, The Osun Progressives, Adelowo Adebiyi, Caretaker Secretary of the party, Hon Rasaq Salinsile, former Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Kazeem Salami, former Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Special Needs, Biyi Odunlade, former Special Adviser to the Governor on Taxation, Barr. Gbenga Akano, a member of the APC in Ilesa, Alaba Popoola, and another member, Azeez Adekunle.
The defendants are loyalists of Aregbesola, a former governor in the state.
They were enmeshed in crisis with other leaders of the party, said to be loyal to Gov Gboyega Oyetola.
They were accused of assaulting two persons, Muideen Ajetunmobi and Usman Lekan, said to be loyalists of Oyetola at the APC Secretariat, Ogo-Oluwa area, Osogbo, on August 14, 2021.
The Police prosecutor, John Idoko, informed the court that the defendants and others now at large, conspired and hit the duo with stones as well as broken plastic chairs which caused them harm on their heads.
The charge sheet obtained in court read, “That you Popoola Alaba, aged 40, Azeez Adekunle, 42, Comrade Biyi Odunlade, Engr Kareem Aderemi Salami, Revd Lowo Adebiyi, Salinsile Rasaq and Gbenga Akano and others now at large, on the 14th day of August 2021 at about 1:30pm at Ogo Oluwa Osogbo in the Osogbo Magisterial district, did conspire among yourselves to commit felonies to wit assault occasional harm.
“That you (defendants) and others now at large on the same day, time, place and in the aforementioned Magisterial district, did unlawfully assault one Hamzat Lukman Babatunde by hitting him with stones on his head, which caused him harm.
That you (defendants) and others now at large, on the same day, time and aforementioned Magisterial district, did unlawfully assault one Ajetumobi Muidoen by hitting him with parts of broken plastic chairs on his head, which caused him harm,” the three counts slammed on the party stalwarts read in part.
The Police prosecution argued that they committed the offences contrary to and punishable under Section 516 and 355 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. Il, laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
But the APC chieftains pleaded not guilty to the allegations. Defence counsels, Abdulfatai Abdulsalam and Muftau Adediran prayed the court to grant the party chieftains bail on self recognition. The Police did not object the oral bail application.
However, Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara granted Salinsile, Adebiyi, Salami, Odunlade and Akano bail, on self recognisance in the sum of N5million each.
Ayilara also admitted Alaba and Adekunle to bail in a sum of N5million with one surety each in the same amount. He said the surety must either be a civil servant residing or house owner within the jurisdiction of the Court.
The matter was adjourned till September 24 for mention.
