More drama around ‘Aregbesola shooting’ as group claims Osun govt gave students N1m to protest

The drama around a shooting incident around the convoy of minister of Interior Affairs, Rauf Aregbesola in Oshogbo the Osun State capital continues taking new dimensions as the days go by.

A group of youths who identified themselves as Concerned Citizens of Osun, have alleged that the state government bought some leaders of the National Association of Osun State Students (NAOSS) with the sum of N1m to protest at the headquarters of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Osogbo on Tuesday.

The group in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Afeez Olakunle stated that the protest was politically motivated, alleging that an unnamed aide to Osun state governor worked with NAOSS leadership to stage the protest.

The group expressed concern that the government could stoop low to dragging students into the internal crisis of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

It also lampooned the leaders of NAOSS for making themselves willing tools in the hands of politicians.

Read also: Osun students protest shooting by NSCDC operatives on Aregbesola’s convoy

The statement reads in part, “It is a shame that NAOSS, a supposed intellectual body of students, could sell itself so cheap to accept a sum of N1m from the state government to protest against the NSCDC in the state.

“The question to ask NAOSS leadership is that: why had it remained silent on the series of insecurity occurrences and political violence in the state? Why did NAOSS choose to protest against NSCDC which is doing its job of protecting the lives and property of the people of the state? Why is it that it was a government official, SSA, that was mobilising media for the NAOSS protest?”

Meanwhile, NAOS President, Moshood Yusuf, in his reaction, challenged the group to bring out proof that he collected money to mobilise students for the protest.

Yusuf, who claimed to have witnessed the alleged shooting by NSCDC operatives on Monday, stated that he did not need to be paid before protesting on behalf of the masses.

“During the protest, my people could not even afford sachet water for themselves. Can I have N1million and I won’t be able to provide ordinary water? I have been expecting something like this because when you fight for masses, it is bound to happen this way. They should provide proof.

“I was around Olonkoro Area (of Osogbo) when the (Monday) shooting happened. Will I fold arms while people are killed? I witnessed the (shooting) incident. I was around Olonkoro (Osogbo). All of us had to flee. Nobody sponsored us. It is our thoughts; thoughts of the students. I can’t fold arms when a paramilitary organisation engage in an activity such as this,” he said.

The NAOSS had protested at the NSCDC office on Tuesday over a shooting incident that involved the convoy of Aregbesola which has generated different accounts from authorities concerned.

While the state police command stated that some people suspected to be political thugs on Aregbesola’s convoy shot into the air without provocation, the NSCDC said its operative Attached to the minister’s convoy returned fire from some thugs suspected to be government agents.

By Oluwatobi Odeyinka…

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