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Lagos: APC congresses turn violent, two persons shot dead

By Seye Olumide and Kehinde Olatunji
13 May 2018   |   4:14 am
A member of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos was shot dead at the party’s local government congress in Agege. The member, identified as Nurudeen Olanose, was allegedly shot at Central School, Dopemu, during a fracas that ensued after voting had ended yesterday. However, shortly after the first shooting another was shot dead by thugs…


A member of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos was shot dead at the party’s local government congress in Agege.

The member, identified as Nurudeen Olanose, was allegedly shot at Central School, Dopemu, during a fracas that ensued after voting had ended yesterday.

However, shortly after the first shooting another was shot dead by thugs believed to be loyal to the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, even as two others are said to be in critical condition.

At the time of filing this report, nine people have been arrested and taken to Area G Police Division in Agege.

But when contacted, the spokesperson of Lagos State Police Command, Chike Oti, merely said, “I’ll get back to you.”

There are different accounts of what led to the shooting at the congress venue.

A witness alleged that the violence broke out after Obasa visited the venue, saying, “Obasa came to the venue at Dopemu, from nowhere a gunshot killed one of the party members. As he was going, his security men just dragged the victim, they dropped him on the other side of the road to pave the way for the speaker to pass and run away.”

“Not quite 10 minutes later, another person was shot (dead) by Obasa’s boys again, and one other person was shot on the leg.”

However, spokesman of the Speaker, Musibau Rasak, has denied the reports that his principal was at the scene of the incidence, insisting that Obasa was not present at the congress venue.

While describing the allegation as a rumour instigated by the opposition party, Rasak told The Guardian: “People were having their congress peacefully inside.

Meanwhile, there were some splinter opposition group, which felt that they were supposed to be involved, but their names were not part of the delegate lists. Policemen at the entrance of the venue, who had the list of the authentic delegates, restricted them from entering.

“This was what led to the fracas. The man who shot the gun has been arrested. And he has been identified to be the driver of the former local government chairman in Agege.”

He added that Policemen were there, including SSS and INEC officials, saying that nobody should link what happened to the Speaker.

Also, Rotimi Sulyman, Media Adviser to Ganiyu Egunjobi, the Chairman of Agege local government, said one person died from the violence, but added that Mr. Obasa was “nowhere near” the congress venue.

“After the election has been concluded, some people, who felt they are fast losing the grip of the party, started fomenting trouble and in the course of that one of the persons loyal to our camp died.”

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